Will You Ever Come to Love Me?
by Darkia
Summary: Two different souls are forced in to marriage by their kingdoms. One trapped for her gift, the other trapped to his title they aren't as different as they think. Can they ever learn to love? VH! Ch.15 is edited and ch. 37 is up!
1. The Seer

This is my first fic that doesn't follow the actual anime/manga from plot to plot. This is my first attempt at doing a story like this so I hope that you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or have created EscaFlowne. Get it I don't own it! This is my disclaimer for the whole fic.

Also, as of today, 4/30/06, I am currently in the process of editing this fic because of name errors, spelling errors, grammatical errors, whatever reason that I want to change it. I just thought that I should warn you. Thanks for the patience.

_Chapter One – The Seer_

On Gaea, there is a story, a legend on how there is a wing goddess, a woman who can either save or destroy Gaea. Most people thought it was only a legend, other people know it to be fact.

A young woman, with horribly cut short dirty blonde hair and green eyes stared out her window up at the two moons. She was a princess, a priestess, and a seer. Her name, was Hitomi Kanzaki, Princess of Tier. Tier wasn't a well known country such as Asturia or Fried, but it was well off. She stared up at the moons, wishing she could be away from here, away from this place she called home; away from people she called her family, away from everything. She was a princess, but yet, she was forced to live most of her life out in the cold room on the lower levels which once use to be part of a dungeon. The only time she was let out of this hell, was for formal occasions so that people wouldn't know that her parents had locked her away. The reason why she was kept "locked up" was because of her "gift". Her gift is the gift of sight, the ability to see the past, and future. She was a seer and a formal priestess of the country of Tier.

When the king and queen of Tier, her father and mother found out that she had such a power, they didn't want anyone to know of her power. During the last war that Tier was in, she was used as a weapon against her own will. She was the reason why Tier had won. Her parents, believed that if someone happened to find out that she was such a powerful seer, that they would want to capture her, and use her power for their own cause. Because her visions happened whenever they felt like it, her father felt as if it was too dangerous to let her roam free, and so they locked her here, in this make shift of a room, in the dungeons.

The door to her "room" was opened and she turned to face one of her maids who was bringing her the evening meal. "I am glad to see you well my lady." The woman said smiling and Hitomi could tell that she was nervous since everyone always acted nervous around her. There where even times to when her own parents where afraid to be around her, though there where at times she wondered if it was fear that kept them away from her or something else. The only one who wasn't afraid, was her older brother Mamoru Kanzaki, Crown Prince of Tier.

"How can one be well, if they are locked up in a cage Maium?" Hitomi asked with sadness in her voice. "Like a wild bird who is locked in a cage, they will eventually whither away and die, of unhappiness." Hitomi said which made the maid uneasy.

"You're brother also has come to see you, he waits outside though since he's talking to the guards about something."

Hitomi smiled at the mention of her oni-chan coming to visit. "Yes, thank you, I know that already though." Hitomi replied and watched as the door opened again and the maid bowed and then left. "Oni-Chan!" Hitomi said happily and greet her brother who walked over to her and smiled as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I talked the guards in to secretly letting you go out tonight." Mamoru said. "I have arranged it with them and I told them that if we get caught, I would take the blame."

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that." Hitomi said sighing. "Mom and dad always find out."

"I'm taking you out, and that's that, besides I have something to talk about to you that you might want to know, and I know that those visions of yours don't show you everything!" Mamoru said as Hitomi tried to protest. "Alright, alright, fine!" The green eyed girl said giving in. "I'll come."

"Eat and then we'll go." Mamoru ordered which made Hitomi grin. "Yes your majesty." Hitomi said and bowed.

"Baka, I don't know what I'm going to do with you." Mamoru sighed. "I don't know why they locked you away." He said suddenly which made Hitomi stop eating after she had been eating for a few minutes. "Grandmother had the same gift, I think that it's a gift personally, not some damn curse like our parents say it is."

"Yes, well, their afraid that I'm going to go help their enemies country." Hitomi replied. "So they think that they can keep me caged up, so what is it that you want to talk to me about?" Hitomi asked and continued to eat as she listened.

"Did you know that you're actually engaged?" Mamoru asked grinning. "Mother and father engaged you at birth before they knew of your gift and you've been promised to a young king." The man said smiling and was on the verge of laughing. Hitomi dropped her silverware at this information.

"Are you serious?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes, dead serious." Mamoru said trying to make the most serious look on his face that he could. "You're suppose to marry him on you're eighteenth moons." Mamoru said grinning. "Which means, in a few days."

"But mom and dad never mentioned a wedding." Hitomi protested. "And I am not marrying some guy that I don't even know!" She protested.

"Too bad, mother and father tried to get out of it, but they couldn't. The contract was sighed in father's blood. It seemed like a good idea to father at the time." Mamoru said now laughing. "You can't get out of it Hitomi, breaking the contract will mean war."

"I'm not marrying this man that I don't even know." Hitomi repeated. "However, if it'll piss father off, and get me out of here, why not?" Hitomi asked.

"I hear that the king isn't interested in marrying either but if the contract is broke either way then well, we're going to war." Mamoru said shrugging in the end.

Hitomi sighed. "I wonder when those parents of ours are going to come to get me." Hitomi thought out loud. "The wedding is in a few days and I don't even have a dress yet!" She said sarcastically.

"Well, father and mother are still trying to get out of it." Mamoru explained. "They're trying to see if there are any loopholes in the contract to tell you the truth. And you where actually suppose to marry the oldest son, but he died in the process of becoming king; so now you're stuck with the youngest."

"How old is he?" Hitomi finally asked.

"Eighteen, almost nineteen." Mamoru replied.

"Which king is he?" Hitomi finally decided to ask.

"King Van Slanzar de Fanel of Fanelia." Mamoru replied which made Hitomi sink. The land of the dragons. "Why that small country?" Hitomi asked.

"Asturia has only princess, Fried has only a young ten year old heir, and well Fanelia wasn't too bad at military maneuvers at the time." Mamoru explained. "You're stuck little sister, either here in this cage, or in Fanelia. Fanelia's your best bet personally speaking and it's not that bad of a country."

Hitomi frowned as she finished her meal and stood up and started towards the door. _"I'll be leaving Teir, but I won't marry Van." _Hitomi thought as she walked by two drunk guards and followed her brother out her dungeon, and out of the palace. She wasn't going to be caged forever, she promised herself that.

So tell me what you think about it so far, good, bad, like it, don't like it? Just leave a review!


	2. The Dragon

_**CHAPTER TWO – Dragon**_

The young king sighed as they got the castle ready for his future wife to come. He had protested against the whole thing when Balgus mentioned it to him but he had no choice in the matter. His country couldn't afford another war, his country had gotten so use to the peace that he didn't think that they would be strong enough, that and he didn't like the idea of war. He made sure that his samurai always did drills every day to keep them in shape, but his country was small, and so was his army; he had always wondered how his father had managed to stay alive.

"You're highness you're not paying attention!" One of Van's advisers snapped at him as they walked along the halls of the castle, Van was forced to come along to look at things and make sure that they where to his liking. The truth was, was that he didn't want to get married and that this was all forced on him. He had a country to run, not some brothel! He didn't care for most women and that's why he's never actually had even a girlfriend. The only woman in his life was his adopted sister Merle, and she was like family to him, that was it. "It's fine, I'll let you guys finish it." Van said trying to brush the aggravating council member off, just wanting to be away from all of this.

"Your future wife is supposed to come in a week so that you can get to know her and you don't seem to care." The man snapped at Van who had lost it then, he had managed to control his temper for the most part, but today he wasn't going to have it.

"I don't give a damn about the wedding!" Van suddenly snapped. "I don't care about this princess or where ever she came from got it?" Van shouted, his crimson red eyes stared at the man seriously. "I am only doing this to keep my father's promise! Which I don't see why he even arranged it since he got to marry out of love! I think it was more or less that you arranged this!" Van was keeping himself from screaming, and just barely. "You seem to want this wedding so badly, you marry her!" He snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do with my free time." Van snapped and then stormed off. He hated them! He only kept them because his father trusted them. He sighed and made his way up to the top of the roof, his only escape from his advisers/council and other pesky members. He stared up at the two moons; they could be seen barely in the day time.

"I thought that you'd get here Van-Sama!" An all too familiar voice said and he watched as a pink haired cat girl suddenly appear. "Running away from everyone again?" Merle asked as Van leaned against the roof, his arms crossed beneath his head.

"No." Van half lied.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Merle snapped, she actually shouted it really. "I know you better then anyone so don't lie to me." She sat down next to Van. "I've always been with you Van-Sama, so I know you better then anyone." Merle said quietly and was blushing as she said it. "Please tell me what's wrong Van-Sama? Is it about you having to get married? If you want I'll use you're new wife as a scratching post." Merle suggested which made Van laugh.

"You'd better not Merle." Van said after he finished laughing, it was the first time he laughed in weeks. "She has a powerful family I hear, and her brother is suppose to be one hell of a samurai, or knight I guess like they call it in her country." Van said and shrugged it off. "Whatever it is that they call a samurai, he's suppose to be one hell of a swordsman, you might end up loosing your tail." Van said seriously. "It's not like I want this marriage, but what I don't get is that why her parents are suddenly trying to get out of it. For some odd reason, they don't want their daughter to marry me. I wonder if it's because they found out that our military power isn't as strong as theirs or what the problem is." Van said sighing. "I hope that they do find some way out of it because I do not want to marry some spoiled princess that I don't even know."

"I'll be sure to keep her in shape for you Van-Sama, have you ever even seen this girl or heard anyone who has seen her?" Merle asked jealousy.

"Never, not many people know much about her. Balgus told me that he seen her once but that was when she was younger. He said that she is suppose to be a priestess as well as a princess." Van said shaking his head. "What have they gotten me in to?" Van asked which made Merle smile.

"A demon from hell Van-Sama!." Merle replied. Merle jumped as Van's name was called at the balcony.

"What now Balgus?" Van asked as he groaned and looked down at his teacher, mentor and friend.

"I thought that you like to know that you have a letter from Tier." Balgus said which made Van quickly jump down from the roof and on to the balcony beneath him.

Van quickly opened the letter and read it silently, his face faulted.

"What does it say Van-Sama?" Balgus asked.

"It says that the king and queen of Tier had finally decided to go through the wedding and that Princess Hitomi would arrive with in the next day, meaning tomorrow!" Van groaned. "They said that they want her to come two weeks early so that she may get to know Fanelia and her people." Van added and with it came another groan.

"First they try to get out of marriage and now they can't wait for the wedding to begin!" Merle said, being rather aggravated. "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE!" Merle asked outraged.

"I don't know Merle, I really don't know. If I die because of these people, I think that you should be able to take over Fanelia with out a problem." Van said half seriously.

"This is not the time to joke Van-Sama; you should go tell someone to go prepare Princess Hitomi's room as quickly as they can." Balgus suggested which made Van only grumble even more as he walked back in to the castle.

"I think someone should make sure that he doesn't decide to kill himself." Merle suggested half jokingly.

"I'm beginning to think so to Merle." Balgus said and he was serious about this. In two weeks, in just two weeks the fate of Fanelia and Tier will be sealed."

……………

I never said how many days it would be, I just said a few and fourteen days is a few days. Enjoy!


	3. The Meeting of the Seer and the Dragon

I know I keep changing things, but this kind of flows with the story a little more. The later chapters are what I'm going to go by, so some of these have to be edited because they jump around a lot because when I first wrote this, I didn't know what I wanted to do. Sorry once again! But just to let you know some things are going to remain the same.

_**Chapter Three – The Meeting of the Seer and the Dragon**_

Hitomi was surprised that she and Mamoru had managed to escape with out any one spotting them or stopping them. They had forged the letter and where already in Fanelia territory. Mamoru's air ship, _Spirit_, was one of the fastest air ships in Tier and couldn't be out run as to technology in Tier went. The queen, Hitomi's mother, thought it would be wise to give her precious son the best ship in all of Tier as a birthday present on his twentieth eighth birthday. Mamoru was exactly ten years older then she was and acted a lot more childish as well. He also had a bad temper when he got really angry but was usually able to control it most of the time from what she seen or heard.

They had sent a messenger ahead of them, which should have gotten there by now since they where nice enough to stop by and stay the night in some town Hitomi never heard of. She was suppose to be sleeping but it's not like sleep came to her because she was too anxious to even sleep because she was worried about her parents reaction and she wondered if they would manage to find _Spirit_ and track them from there. She stiffed a yawn as she looked out the window and saw Fanelia just as the sun began to rise.

Her eyes widened as she seen her future home for the first time. It was different then Tier, which had a cliff where the palace was and then surrounding the cities was nothing but water when the land ended, it always reminded her of when the yellow moon was in a crescent shape form. Her brother's hand suddenly was on her shoulder which made jump a little since she wasn't expecting it for once. "Mamoru…" Hitomi said a bit surprised since she didn't sense his presence. That was the first. It must have been a mixture of a lack of sleep and worry.

"We're almost there, we'll be docking in a few minutes, are you sure that you don't want to run away?" Mamoru asked half jokingly. "I hear that the king has a terrible temper."

"It can't be half as bad as living in those chambers of mine." Hitomi said. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be fine, I hear that he is a good king and a fair ruler, those are good qualities in a person." Hitomi said.

"Acting is one thing, actually being sincere is another." Mamoru said which made Hitomi frown.

"Don't worry, every thing will be fine." Hitomi reassured him, but her feelings that she kept well hidden where a completely different thing. She was anxious to meet her future husband, and didn't know what he was like, she didn't want to meet him, but she had no choice to and began to wonder if fate had something to do with it. Her hand clutched the pendant around her neck that she had gotten from her grandmother and took a deep breath as they landed. She almost practically held her breath as the carriage made it's way to the center of the country where the castle was. She walked up arm and arm with Mamoru's arm in hers. She clutched his hand as she showed the first sign of nervousness and they where lead through the halls of the castle by a man who she assumed was a messenger of the king.

When they entered the throne room, the man entered first and then she could hear her name being called over the strange horns. "Princess Hitomi Kanzaki of Tier and Prince Mamoru Kanzaki of Tier." The name called and Hitomi and her brother walked forward. As she neared the king, she could see him, she assumed that this was just a ceremony so that she could meet the king and that she would be introduced the people after she got to meet the king. She could see him as she approached; she had a hard time keeping herself under restraint. When they got a few feet away, she let go of her brother's arm and they both bowed. Well she curtsied and her brother bowed anyway.

"Rise." Came an almost emotional less voice and the two Kanzaki's did as they where told.

Hitomi stared at a man who was barely older then she was and could tell that underneath that hard shell that he showed her. His brownish-red eyes studied her as she studied him, he had wild raven black hair and wore a plain red shirt with yellowish pants. "Forgive us for coming at the last moment your highness." Mamoru was the one who spoke first which adverted King Van's eyes on to Hitomi's older brother. "It was Princess Hitomi's idea, she would have waited until a few days, had it not been for the fact that she wanted to get to know Fanelia and her future husband." Mamoru explained apolitically.

"It is forgiven this one time, but don't let it become too much of a habit of yours, the servants don't like to be rushed at last minute work." Van decided to add.

"Yes your highness, I don't plan on making it one." Mamoru said as politely as he could.

"You two must be tired from your trip." Van said trying to get rid of them, having had seen all it was that he needed to see. "I'll have someone show you to your rooms."

"Rooms your highness?" Mamoru asked with concern showing. "I mean no offence but how am I suppose to protect my sister if I am in a completely different room then she is?" He asked. "My orders are that I am suppose to stay with her at all times expect for personal matters." Mamoru almost whispered hoping that Van would get the hint that he meant for time to use the bathroom.

"Yes, but the room opens up to the other." Van said. "We don't have time to arrange another group." Van added. "Dismissed!" Van said not feeling like dealing with their problem.

"He seems rather rude if you ask me." Mamoru said as he leaned against the all to Hitomi's room who was unpacking a few things. They had left in a hurry so they had to stop by so they could get a few things since it was unusual for a princess to have nothing. Mamoru didn't want any chances taken.

"He's just busy." Hitomi said. "He's actually a nice person underneath all of that as you would say rudeness." Hitomi said mockingly which made Mamoru frown.

"There are some people who are just bad Hitomi." Mamoru told his little sister. "You've been locked up too long not to know that, why do you think we have wars? Or one reason why anyway…" Mamoru said correcting himself.

"Trust me, I can tell, he's not a completely bad person, I just sense that he's had a lot of painful experiences in his life; I'm sure that's why he acts the way that he is now." Hitomi said which made her brother just shake his head and sigh. "I will never understand you sister." Mamoru said. "You've been through pain as well but you don't act as cold hearted as he does."

"Yes well, I'm just being on my best behavior. It's after we get married when he'll see the true side of me." Hitomi said grinning.

"The thing that you're not suppose to show?" Mamoru asked.

"I can't hide that forever no matter how many excuses our parents make. Now, I mean the side of me that you know." Hitomi replied which made Mamoru laugh.

"I take back about what I said about the king, he's going to be in hell once you're his wife!" Mamoru laughed and Hitomi smacked him on the arm. "WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?" She asked.

"Nothing, nothing." Mamoru said not feeling like explaining himself.

The door knocked at that moment and Hitomi turned to it. "Yes?" She asked.

"Princess Hitomi, I need to speak with your brother, Prince Mamoru is he in there?" A man's voice asked.

"Yes, come in." Hitomi said and then realized that it was a man she had met before meeting Van named Balgus. He was suppose to be one of the four swordsman of Fanelia. Hitomi wondered if she should bow or not but decided not to in the end.

"May I borrow Prince Mamoru for a while, princess?" Balgus asked. "I need to talk to him about the arrangements of your protection, not like you should need it here in Fanelia but one can't be too sure about these things." Balgus said and Hitomi nodded. "Yes, you can take him. Actually, please take him!" Hitomi said which made Balgus raise an eye brow.

"I'm not suppose to leave you." Mamoru protested. "Our parents will have my hide if they find out!" Mamoru said remembering the lie he told her to follow.

"Then they won't be told, now will they?" Hitomi asked aggravated.

"Well, if they find out my death will be on your conscience." Mamoru insisted which made Hitomi just throw her hands up in to the air. "I'm in my bedroom what could go wrong?" Hitomi asked now beginning to loose it.

"Alright, if you insist." Mamoru said mockingly.

"I insist brother, oh do I insist." Hitomi replied as she tried her best not to loose her temper right now. Mamoru watched as Balgus bowed to Hitomi and then left the room with Balgus. Hitomi sighed now finally being out all alone, she started to head toward the balcony and threw open the doors when she screamed and fell back after seeing a young cat girl suddenly there. Hitomi studied the pink hair cat girl's features as she just stared at her and the cat girl stared back at her. She noticed that the girl's tail was getting all puffy like when a cat got angry. Hitomi just stared. "Can I help you?" Hitomi finally asked as she stood up and brushed her dress off.

"Don't you dare hurt Van-Sama in any way." The girl said in a threatening way. "If you hurt him, you'll regret it!"

"Who are you to judge me with out even knowing me?" Hitomi asked nearly yelling. She hated how people thought of princess, from the few that Hitomi met, they where spoild and did whatever they wanted to who or what they wanted. She wasn't like that.

"Don't you dare hurt him, I'd say don't get too familiar with him, but that's going to be near impossible since you're going to be married to him in two weeks." Merle said, her tail still standing up straight. There was something that caught her eye that the princess was wearing, a red pendant necklace which made Merle grin mischievously. "I'll see if some snotty girl can even get her precious pendant back!" Merle thought and quickly grabbed the pendant off of Hitomi's neck, with out even breaking the chain and ran out of the room.

"HEY! THAT'S MINE! COME BACK HERE YOU THIEF!" Hitomi shouted and started to chase after the girl not caring about her image at the moment, she just wanted to get the pendant back, the pendant had a special meaning to her and she didn't want to loose it or get it stolen. She was thankful that the dress that she had changed in to wasn't one of those multilayer ones. It was just one layer and was easy to run in. The girl appeared to know this palace inside out, or so Hitomi thought. That would mean that the girl would have to be here for more then just a short period of time.

"Princess Hitomi!" A voice said which made Hitomi stop running and look at who was calling her. Damn, it was Van.

"Yes your highness?" Hitomi asked as he came over to her.

Van didn't want to even talk to this woman but it was unusual to see a princess running and especially through the halls. Then again, it was unusual to see a princess running period. Most princess hated that sort of thing. "Is there something wrong?" He asked.

Hitomi took a look in the direction to where she was chasing the girl and sighed realizing that she was gone. "Yes, I just lost a thief." Hitomi said which made Van raise an eye brow suspiciously.

"In the castle princess are you sure?" Van asked mockingly.

"Yes, I wouldn't make something up just to get attention if that's what you mean." Hitomi asked somewhat annoyed.

"No, it's just not likely." Van said quickly trying to get himself out of the whole he's just dug.

"A cat girl with pink hair wearing an orange summer dress." Hitomi said which made Van frown.

"Merle…" Van said. "I'm sorry princess, I'll get it back for you, sometimes when Merle sees something she likes she intends to borrow it with out asking." Van explained. "I'll go find her but first I should get you back to your brother before he starts to worry and our countries go to war for a false disappearance." Van said and turned back down the hall.

"But my…" Hitomi started to protest.

"I'll get it from her when I see her, I'll tell her to give it back, she'll do as I say." Van explained as he turned. "Coming?"

"Yes." Not like she had a choice. She had gotten out of one prison and in to another. Freedom, what did it mean to be truly free?

When she and Van had returned to her room, her brother came running out towards her. "Where have you been?" Mamoru asked harshly as she came up with Van. "You know that I'm suppose to watch over you but how can I if you keep running away?"

"I'M NOT A CHILD!" Hitomi finally snapped. After being trapped in the damn dungeon all of her life and now she thought that she would finally be free and she was still trapped. "YOU can stay OUTSIDE the door I'm tired of seeing you." Hitomi snapped at Mamoru forgetting that Van was there and walked in to her room and slammed the door. She was tired of this, she tired to keep herself in good spirits but she couldn't do this much longer. Especially with the way that Van and her brother where treating her.

"You didn't have to yell at her." Van said actually feeling just a little bit sorry for her. "It wasn't really her fault that she was out of her room, and she's not a prisoner here in the castle anyway and is free to go where ever she wants." Van said to Mamoru suddenly not knowing what came over him. He figured that it was because he couldn't stand to see females cry and they where faint, but when Hitomi had ran in to her room, he saw tears there, just barely but they where there.

"Yes well no offence but she's not making my job any easier." Mamoru said, being here for one day and already annoyed.

"A friend of mine went to go see her and stole something from her just to tease her." Van explained. "That's why she left." Van said trying not to get annoyed with these people.

"You have a thief for a friend? No offence your highness but you of all people should not be hanging out with a thief!"

"Actually she's not, she just sees something that she likes and borrows it with out asking, she always returns it later." Van said. "I'm going to go find her now and tell her to leave Princess Hitomi's things alone or yours for that matter." Van said as he started to walk away from the older man who looked like he was about to kill someone. "I don't have time for this!" Van thought annoyed as he went off to go search for Merle.

Mamoru knocked on the door. "I'm coming in." Mamoru said and opened the door when he didn't get a reply. He saw his sister on the large bed, and shook his head once he found out that she was sleeping and not poisoned or anything like that. As he began to walk away he stopped and looked back at her. _"Sorry for yelling at you Hitomi." _Mamoru thought as he then moved over to a chair and sat down.

_Hitomi found herself falling, there wasn't any ground beneath her for some distance beneath her. She could do nothing but scream in fear as she fell, people above looked down at her as she fell in horror. Someone shouted out her name but she couldn't tell who. She had her eyes shut tight and then felt someone's warm hand grab hers. But that was impossible! She was falling, how could anyone be with her now? She looked up to find herself being smiled at by a winged person. "Who are you?" She asked herself since she wasn't able to speak. All she could see from the glare of the sun, was black bangs, white wings, and a strange looking tattoo. _


	4. The Return of the Pendant

_**Chapter Four – The Return of the Pendant**_

Van found Merle in the usual spot; she was in the stables with one of the horses. He sighed and shook his head as he approached her. As soon as he stepped on the hay, Merle's ears perked "VAN-SAMA!" Merle shouted happily and ran towards him. He just replied to the greeting with a cold look which made her stop. "Is something wrong Van-Sama?" Merle asked.

"Give it to me." Van hissed.

"What are you talking about Van-Sama?" Merle asked hoping that he didn't know.

"Give me back Princess Hitomi's pendant." Van hissed. "I told you about _"borrowing"_ things Merle, I'm not joking around either."

Merle could tell that he wasn't joking and she sighed and dug in to her pocket and handed back the red pendant to Van who looked at it before closing it in his hand. "It figures that she's a tattle tale!" Merle whined. "Most princesses are."

"She didn't tell I asked her why she was running and she told me." Van corrected. "So technically speaking she didn't tattle." Van gave Merle a hard and partly cold look. "Do not steal anything from the princess or her brother again Merle. If you keep it up some people might want your hide for being a thief, Prince Mamoru especially." Van said. "I haven't punished you like most other kings would since you're my childhood friend and I don't want you to get punished, but if I am forced to punish you, I don't want it to come to that." Van said.

"Sorry Van-Sama, I won't do it again." Merle said looking sorry which made Van run his hand through his raven black hair. "I want to believe you Merle, but your actions need to start showing me that." Van said and hugged Merle back as she hugged him. He put his hand on her pink hair and smiled. "I believe you, just start doing it alright?" He asked more calmly this time.

"Yes Van-Sama, I promise that I won't do it again!" Merle promised and Van smiled. "Come on; let's go back so you can apologize to the princess." Van said.

"You're being awfully nice to someone who you don't want to marry Van-Sama." Merle said. "Why?"

"I don't really know actually." Van admitted.

Hitomi woke up, her heart was breathing fast and sweat rolled down her face. She was surprised to see that Mamoru had left her alone to sleep, she was shocked actually. She looked in the mirror and shook her head, she was a mess, her hair was all messed up and her eyes where red from crying. She decided to change in to a different dress and fixed her hair, there wasn't really much you could do with it since it was so short, so she just made it less messy. She remade the bed and wondered what she could do, she normally didn't have this much freedom so it was difficult to get use to. Van had said that she could go anywhere, so why not. Then again her brother was suppose to be with her every where she went, or at least that is what the story was. She sighed and wondered where that damn brother of hers went. Most likely off chasing girls. She opened the door and was a bit surprised to see Van and that damn girl with him. The cat girl hid behind Van.

"Here." Van said handing her the pendant in his hand and Hitomi took it gratefully; her neck was beginning to feel naked with out it.

"Thank you." Hitomi said as she then quickly looked at it and put it back on.

"Merle has something to say to you princess." Van said and looked back at his adopted sister who was standing behind him and he grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of him. "Merle, I don't have time for this, you know that." Van said in a tone of voice to Merle which told her that she better say it or else.

"Yes Van-Sama." Merle said trying not to let her temper get the best of her. "Princess Hitomi, I'm sorry, I won't ever do that again." Merle said bowing and Hitomi nodded.

"Yes Merle, or is it Lady Merle?" Hitomi asked somewhat confused.

"Just Merle." Van said before Merle could say something to that.

"Thank you, King Van, I know that you're busy and you had time to do this for meand thank you again." Hitomi said and bowed.

"Yes, excuse me." Van said and looked at Hitomi once before leaving with Merle behind him.

"How did she know that we where there?" Merle asked as they where a distance down the hall.

"I don't know." Van answered truthfully. "It could have just been that she was going to go out at the same time we got there."

"Who knows, I hear that people from Tier are weird." Merle said in a whisper.

Van didn't say anything to it, he wondered what his future wife would be like, she seemed nice enough but as the old saying goes "_Never judge a book by it's cover,"_ or in this case a woman.

* * *

**_I never realized how cheesy this chapter was until I read it this time. What was I thinking at the time? Geeze, Van would never say half of those lines that I had for him there and quickly changed a few. I update every Saturday or at least try to just as a reminder for those who have been reading this from the beginning and for those of you who are new to this, now you know. Thanks for reading and please review!_**


	5. The Third Princess of Asturia

**_CHAPTER FIVE – The Third Princess of Asturia, Princess Millerna Aston_**

The weeks had gone and come quicker then Hitomi could have imagined and even for her. It was usually "Time goes by too slow when you're waiting for something," but the opposite was for when you didn't want to go through something. Or at least that's how it felt.

Her wedding dress had the final alterations to and other little things had already been added to it. She was surprised that it was made in such a short amount of time since they really had to pay someone to make one since they left with out her parents consent, once she was married to Van, her parents couldn't make her leave.

She sighed as she sat in the garden having nothing else better to do, she wondered if this was how people felt who had freedom? She wanted to go in to the city but her brother advised her against it. Damn! Even now she was trapped. Van, she hadn't seen her future husband since that day when he made Merle come apologize to her for stealing her pendant. She knew little of her future husband besides the fact that he was a good, kind king, but the way that he treated her was different. She sighed, she should have known that this would be the case and had to force a smile so that she wouldn't become depressed. But that was difficult to do since there was no one who really actually wanted her to be there. She was just a pain in the ass forced to be there by some damn contract. She had wondered if the man she was actually suppose to marry would have cared if she was there and probably figured that it was the same thing. She looked at a bird who flew down in to it's nest and she sighed. "I wonder what it's like to fly like a bird." She thought to herself as she saw it land in its nest and sighed.

"It's not as great as you think." Came an all too familiar voice which made Hitomi turn around.

"Did I just say that out loud?" Hitomi asked Van, blushing.

"Yes." Van replied. "You did, I'm surprised that Prince Mamoru isn't around." He said making sure that Hitomi's brother wasn't around before he said what he came to say.

"He's probably chasing some girl somewhere." Hitomi said shaking her head. "Oh, you're gardens are very beautiful." Hitomi added.

"Yes well, you have the gardeners to thank for that." Van said and then looked at Hitomi seriously. "You know that this marriage is a forced arranged marriage right?" Van asked.

"Yes, I do." Hitomi replied as she now stood up. "You didn't have someone in mind that you wanted to marry do you? I would feel terrible if that…"

"No." Van replied. "My kingdom has always been my first priority." Van explained. "I don't know how to say this, but I hold nothing against you to let you know." Van said and Hitomi waited. "I didn't choose this marriage myself and you may never experience love in this marriage princess." Van said not knowing how to word it in another way. He figured that honesty was the best thing and he didn't want this woman to live a lie.

Hitomi moved her eyes from his and looked to the ground. "I wasn't expecting anything." Hitomi said as she stared at the ground for a couple of minutes and then looked at him. "Don't tell my brother that I told you this, but I'm happy just to be able to be able to move around the castle and grounds and city freely. That is enough for me." Hitomi said which made Van start to wonder.

"_Strange girl." Van thought as he looked at her. "Most girls would start to cry if I told them that and all she wants is freedom? What sane woman would just say that having freedom to move around as she pleased was good enough?" He asked._ "I'm sorry but I just had to tell you that, I didn't want you to be expecting something from me and would receive nothing." Van said again.

"Like I said, I'm just happy as things are." Hitomi said forcing a smile. _"Love, is that an emotion that I'll truly experience?" _She thought to herself as she continued to keep the fake smile on her lips. _"Mother and father say that they love me, but what kind of parents lock their child away and just have them come out only for a show? Brother, his type of love is that he feels responsible for me since I'm related to him by blood. This man who is going to be my husband in three days says that he doesn't love me, this was the last chance of hope that I thought I would get at love, but is such an emotion possible?" _She kept the smile there, like an actress standing on a stage, she had become very good at this. "Can I ask you one thing?" Hitomi asked.

"You already asked me something, but yes, you can ask me one thing." Van replied.

"Will, whenever a heir happens to come, will you ever love our child?" Hitomi asked. "I don't expect you to love me, but will you at least love our child?"

Van had no answer for that. "I don't know." Van answered truthfully. "I know that this is the wrong time to ask, but my advisers wish to have dinner with us." Van said suddenly remembering the reason why he came and he was trying to change the subject.

"Understood." Hitomi said. "I don't have anything else better to do anyway." Hitomi said sadly.

Van felt like a total ass now, but the truth had to come out, she would be expecting something that he couldn't feel for this woman. Something that he didn't want to feel. Then again, how could he show an emotion that he barely remembered?

As they headed to the dinning room, some one started to run up towards them and shouted Van's name. "KING VAN!" The voice shouted and the couple stopped and turned to the man.

"Yes?" Van asked.

"An airship from Asturia, the youngest princess from Asturia has arrived, Princess Millerna Aston, youngest princess of Asturia." The man said. "She came for your wedding and wishes to meet with you King Van and Princess Hitomi."

"Thank you, I'll go meet her." Van said to the messenger who bowed. "Princess Hitomi, if you would like to join me?" Van asked.

"Yes your highness." Hitomi replied. "I would." She didn't know if she actually wanted to or not. She usually had no choice in these things. She would have rather gone back to the garden to be alone. This man had already made it clear that he wouldn't love her in their marriage, but she would be forced to sleep with him. She didn't owe this man and yet at the same time she did because he was giving her freedom, not the kind that she wanted but more freedom then what she would receive at home. She sometimes wished that she would have killed herself before she had even let her parents know about her power. If only her life had been different, if only.

Princess Millerna was surprised to see the young king waiting for her at the entry to the palace gates. She noticed how young he was to be king and her eyes trailed over to his young bride who was hardly any younger then she was. Millerna noticed how the princess looked pale, not a sickly pale, but skin tone pale when she heard that the Tierians usually had tan skin.

"Welcome Princess Millerna of Asturia." Van said as he greeted the young princess who was escorted by a knight with blonde hair and blue eyes. Van assumed that he must have been one of the calie knights that Van had heard of.

"Thank you, your highness, forgive me for coming a few days early." Millerna said curtsying. "May I present my husband Prince Dryden." Millerna asked and a man with wavy brown hair bowed.

"It is an honor to meet you King of Fanelia." Dryden said and Van nodded. "The honor is mine, Prince Dryden, and this; this is my fiancée High Princess of Tier, Hitomi." Van said and Hitomi bowed.

"I have heard many great things about Asturia princess." Hitomi said not sure what to say since she hardly went to any of these formal meetings and other events like that.

"Same here, I have heard many great things of Tier and Fanelia." Millerna said back. "Do you remember your highness? We met once before, when we where children." Millerna suddenly asked. "You where playing in the gardens with your brother and I was visiting with my older sister."

"No, I don't, sorry." Van apologized. It was awkward yes, Hitomi could feel strange emotions going up in to the atmosphere and especially coming between the blonde knight and the princess. It wasn't love, there was confusion between the knight and the princess and annoyance towards the knight from Millerna. Hitomi shook her head after trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Is something wrong?" Millerna asked curiously and Hitomi looked at the princess. "No, sorry, there was a bug." Hitomi lied and Millerna laughed.

"My older sister has done that over a hundred times, it always amuses me." Millerna said which made Hitomi just look at her wondering what was wrong with this princess. _"I hope that she's not just another air head." _Hitomi thought as the two couples went inside. They had eaten the evening meal together along with the councilors who weren't too pleased at their uninvited guests.


	6. Talk Between Two Princess

_**CHAPTER SIX – Talk Between Two Princess**_

Hitomi sighed finally being free from Mamoru or Van's samurai who where constantly around her, as if someone was hiding in the forests other than the dragons and where ready to kill her. She was walking around the garden, a place that she found that she liked a lot since it had a beauty of its own and it was quiet and secluded and so she visited it whenever she could. Her first meeting with Van didn't go very well and she was surprised that her mother hadn't sent out a letter for her yet saying that she had escaped. Hopefully, her mother would be stupid and that her mother would have sent the note with one of Mamoru's loyal men who would take a long time for it to get here.

"I was told that I'd find you here." Another voice said which made Hitomi turn to look at the Asturian Princess, a woman whose life seemed to be filled with love, joy, and true happiness, something that Hitomi's life lacked. "Princess Millerna." Hitomi said standing up quickly.

"Please, just Millerna, I figured that we're both women here so let's be friends." Millerna said smiling and Hitomi just stared at her.

"Friends…" Hitomi repeated, what did she know of friendship? The people she use to hang out as friends as a child where long gone and she had hardly any real need for friends. She noticed the Millerna looking at her strangely. "Did you say something?" Millerna asked.

"No, nothing, yes, you can call me just Hitomi." Hitomi said which made Millerna smile.

"I always thought that titles where always over rated." Millerna said. "It's a beautiful garden isn't it? I remember them from when I was a child." Millerna said and walked over to a rose and smelt it.

"Pri… Millerna, as a friend can I ask you a question?" Hitomi asked suddenly, she had never talked to another woman before about love, or about marriage and since Millerna was married, she figured that perhaps that she could try to talk to her it was a little straight forward since they had just met, but she hoped that Millerna wouldn't laugh.

"Sure what?" Millerna asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I hope that you won't tell anyone that I asked you this, but are you happy with Prince Dryden?" Hitomi asked blushing. "I mean I heard that your marriage was an arranged one so I figured that I'd ask you since…"

"Since your marriage with King Van is arranged." Millerna said completing Hitomi's question.

"Yes." Hitomi answered blushing.

"Yes, I'm happy." Millerna answered with out any hesitations. "I wasn't at first though, I didn't want to marry Dryden, I actually wanted to marry Allen." Millerna said truthfully.

"That Calie knight?" Hitomi asked amazed.

"Yes, I had been in love with him before I had found myself to be in love with Dryden. He left me for some time which really got me thinking and well I realized that the short time that we spend together, I was in love with him. He even told me that he had fallen in love with me but would make himself the kind of man that I wanted him to be so he left."

"But you're together now." Hitomi protested.

"Yes, after I went after him after he left. Even though it's an arranged marriage, there is hope for love in there Hitomi." Millerna said. "I hope that answers your question."

"Yes, thank you." Hitomi said. "I've never even been in love before so I just wanted to ask someone else who was in my shoes." Hitomi said bashfully. "Thank you for telling me that."

"You might hate it now Hitomi, but there is a chance for love in the future if the two of you allow yourselves to first love the other and then to be loved by the other." Millerna said. "But the first step to love is friendship not the kind you would give another person who wasn't meant to be your husband, but someone your future husband could rely on and go to for advice and trust. Be his friend Hitomi, every thing should work out from there."

…………………..

I didn't change this one very much, but oh well.


	7. The Wedding

**_Chapter Seven – Wedding Day _**

Hitomi woke up and moaned knowing what today was; today was the day of her wedding. Most girls usually dreamed of their wedding day, but not her, she didn't want to get married only to have to sleep with the man later on in the night when it was all over. Sure, she had been alright with the whole idea until now but her stomach was turning knots in to knots. She groaned at the thought. Van, Van was handsome but the way he acted towards her, he was just so cold, he made her not want to get married to him. It was pretty easy to find out why he was still single; then again, she shouldn't be one to talk, she was still single to at her age. But then again, she also had been locked up and her parents didn't plan let her get married at all so she wondered if she should be thanking Van for getting her out of that dungeon or hating him? She just couldn't figure him out. He was nice to his people and to every one else including her brother, well he more or less tolerated her brother but he still acted civilized to him, to her, it was a different story. He had even said that he didn't love her and told her not to expect love out of the marriage. It was going to be a lonely life, she was only half looking forward to having a child because maybe then, she would have someone who cared about her; unless if her child turned in to his/her father then life would be hell. Then again, life was already hell so how much worse could it get?

Hitomi sighed as she laid in bed not needing to get up for a while since her wedding wasn't for a few hours, however she soon found out that she was very wrong about that and that it was this afternoon. A maid had come in and told her that and now, with her handmaidens that her brother had hired, the four women where helping Hitomi quickly get dressed. The afternoon wasn't for some time yet, but with all the crap she now realized she would be wearing, it would be difficult getting it all on at the last minute. Not to mention there was the bath that they made her take and with the way that they scrubbed her skin, she felt like she would be clean for the next week, if not the next month. She had insisted that she could wash herself, but they wouldn't let her, she felt rather embarrassed with other people seeing her naked, then again, she figured, she would have to get use to this soon enough, tonight Van would see her like this and she couldn't hide from him then, she got angry at the thought of having to make love to Van, she could have chunked the soap at one of the maids had it not been that they where holding it!

When the maids finally decided that she was clean enough, they let her get out and dry herself off, she was surprised that they let her do that much and didn't try to dry her as well, they might as well have, they bathed her! She was almost pink because of all of the scrubbing they've done. "I can put it on myself!" Hitomi said as the four women took the towel off of her and started to put the dress on. "Did Mamoru tell you to treat me like this?" Hitomi asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Prince Mamoru told us to dress you and to wash you if that is what you mean princess." A younger maid said, she looked like she was Hitomi's age. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet, forgive us on that but time is short." The maid said as she zipped up the long zipper to Hitomi's dress. "I am Fay, the short one who is currently trying to put that bracelet on is my younger sister May, the tallest one who just went to go get your underclothes is Aya, and the one standing over next to the dresser is Cye, Prince Mamoru hired us and told us that we are to get you ready for your wedding."

"I see." Hitomi said_. "I think I'll kill him later on."_ Hitomi thought as she grabbed the panties from Aya. "I think I can manage to put my own underclothes on thank you." Hitomi said and walked in to the bathroom before any of the women could protest. This is why she hated having maids. Until now she had forgotten why she hated having them and now she remembered. She had put her underclothes on and now all she needed was something for support. For some odd reason, she didn't think that they where going to let her have that. This was going to be a long morning!

Van had finished dressing himself and Merle tried to do something with his hair but it wasn't really much of a help, it just fell back in the same place it was before she had tried to do something with it.

"It's no use Van-Sama." Merle said. "I can't do anything with your hair."

"That's fine, I don't really care about it much anyway." Van replied. "Today's the day I guess…" Van said as he walked over to the balcony and looked down at all of the last minute preparations that where being made.

"If you want I'll scratch her eyes out so that way she can't see." Merle insisted.

"Merle!" Van said as he heard his adopted sister say this. "As much as I don't like it, that woman is going to be your future queen, if anyone hears you saying like that after we're married well then I don't know what to do with you."

"I still love you Van-Sama, even if she never will." Merle said.

"Merle, I already told you, your like a sister to me." Van said even though they've had this conversation before. "I told you that already. I'm not trying to be mean to you Merle, but saying something else would be so I'd rather have you know the truth."

"Yes Van-Sama, I know. I just want you to know how I feel. That Princess Hitomi won't ever feel what I feel for you so I just want to let you know how I feel." Merle said blushing wildly.

Van chuckled. "You're a good friend and sister, I just wish I understand why mother and father made this whole arrangement." Van said sighing remembering how his parents got to marry out of love and not a rearrange marriage. He wondered what his father's reasons where for this marriage, was it that he and Hitomi had been secretly fated as his mother and father where, or was his father just using this marriage as a reason to use the Tierian troupes in war? Whatever his father's reasons was, he knew that his father must have thought it was best for him at the time. Then again now that he thought of it, Hitomi was actually suppose to marry Folken, Van shook his head at all of the thoughts that ran to his head. Eventually, he gave up and went on to the roof and stared up at the two moons, the one that seemed to always catch his eye the most was the Mystic Moon. He wondered what it was like on that cursed moon, and wondered a lot about other things as thoughts just ran through his mind, he had a few hours left before his wedding, and a few hours left of freedom. Acting like you loved the woman was one thing, but actually being in love with her was a completely different thing; he would at the very least tolerate Hitomi for the rest of his life. He would have to tolerate the thing he despised the most.

The wedding started. People from all over Gaea where there just to see it, many where friends of Tier, but there where some there who where friends of Fanelia as well. Hitomi walked the long carpet that lead up to where Van was, she had to keep her head up high since it was difficult to because she felt embarrassed by all of the people looking at her. She didn't like it when so many eyes looked at her at once, she hated formal settings like this one; though she didn't have the choice in the matter. The small emerald and silver bracelet on her wrist told her that she was not alone however, her brother had given it to her as a wedding present, one that would let her know that someone always cared for her even if Van didn't. Mamoru had over heard the conversation between her and Van, he finally told her that, it made her furious.

"_Here, I know it's kind of stupid, but I got you something anyway." Mamoru said as Hitomi waited the last hour of her single life waiting for the wedding to start, she was already wearing her wedding outfit and other things like that to go along with it. It was just her brother and her standing there. He handed her a box. "Open it." Mamoru reassured and he did._

"_It's beautiful, but why?" Hitomi asked as she looked at the bracelet._

"_I didn't know if I should let you know before but I decided to tell you now. I heard the conversation between you and the king that day, when he said he would never love you and that you shouldn't expect love in your marriage. I want you to wear that, and know that when you wear it, someone actually cares about you and doesn't just think that you're a pain in the ass. I know I've said a lot of things to you in the pass, but it's just big brother teasing rights. Don't do anything stupid because you think no one loves you Hitomi. It may not be the kind of love that your looking for, but it'll have to work." Mamoru said which made Hitomi go in to tears as he put it on her and she ran to him and hugged him. "Remember, if that husband of yours decides to try to even hurt you, I'll be there to kick his ass in the next tournament, king or not, this way we don' get in trouble for doing it." Mamoru said. _

_Hitomi laughed and hugged her brother. "Thank you." Hitomi said._

"_I didn't even realize that it went with those enormous eyes of yours that stick out of your head Tomi."_

"_SHOVE IT!" Hitomi said and the two started to laugh. _

Her brother was standing somewhere in the audience, she was glad to know that he was there for her. They teased one another and fought with one another over the years but it was a brother and sister thing, she hated to admit it but she would miss seeing his ugly face every day. She had to smile at the thought as she walked down the isle.

Had it not been for the situation to why he was marrying, Van would have literally fallen at the sight of Hitomi. She was beautiful in that dress. He would never tell anyone that, he hated ceremonies, they took so damn long! He took Hitomi by the hand once she finally got up there, and they knelt before the priest and the ceremony began.

"_Not now!" _Hitomi thought as she felt the vision coming on and tried to ignore it, but as always it didn't work, her eyes widened and the vision began. Fanelia, Fanelia was burning, it was hot, so very hot. The scene changed again and she saw two guymelofs fighting. _"What on Gaea?" _She asked herself and when it finally ended she saw that Van was staring at her strangely. She could tell that he was a bit hesitant on the next part as he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. She blushed fiercely at the short brief kiss, but long enough for a show, the crowd cheered, and it was over.

Hitomi was helped being changed out of the wedding dress in her new room, it was Van's room, and she couldn't help but stare at the things he had in his room, it was kind of empty actually, there wasn't hardly anything there at all. The door opened and she gasped in embarrassment as Van entered which made Hitomi turn bright red. "DO YOU MIND!" She shouted which caught Van's attention which quickly made him turn back around and head out the door. Her maids looked at her.

"What?" Hitomi asked.

"It is natural for a woman's husband to see her dress." One of the maids said, Hitomi had forgotten their names already.

"Yes but we have now been married only for a few minutes, half an hour at the most. Besides he can wait to see his wife anyhow! There are still guests about and I need to get back to the party. It might be alright for no offence someone who isn't about to be announced to the whole kingdom as the queen of Fanelia and both the king and queen are missing." Hitomi tried to explain but in the end it was still confusing.

"Yes your highness, if you say so." The maid replied and changed Hitomi's dress to a green one, what was it with people in their obsession with dressing her in the color green? Van was waiting outside and had a scowl on his face. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to be undressing in the middle of the bedroom." Van said actually apologizing.

"That was their idea, the maids that my brother hired for me." Hitomi said shaking her head.

"Well I'll be sure to knock for now on if it'll make you feel better, this isn't the place to discus this so I'll meet you out here and we can walk to there together." Van said.

"Yes your highness." Hitomi said out of habit which made Van keep that annoyed look on his face as he shook his head and went inside, Hitomi wondered if that was a bit of a blush on him as she watched him turn. _"No way, it's just the lighting." _Hitomi thought and sighed. This was going to be a rather difficult marriage, with out meaning to, she had already let her true colors show. She sighed again and looked at the bracelet that her brother had given her earlier that day, she could feel it hugging her wrist, he was a brat but she guessed it was a brother/sister thing. Van came out and was out of the outfit that he and Hitomi where married him. He hardly noticed that he and Hitomi where staring at one another before he finally held out his hand. "Ready?" Van asked.

"Yes Van-Sama." Hitomi said feeling very awkward to take Van's hand since he had been nothing but cruel to her, she couldn't help but to blush at the thought of him walking in on her, and she almost forgot about the vision.


	8. Vision's Warnings

**_Chapter Eight – Visions_**

Van had the whole week off for his honeymoon which he would have rather preferred to spend it working. He didn't want to spend any more time with this woman then he had to. She had seemed to completely change from the time before he had got married to now. He was going to tell that with her outspoken big mouth, she was going to drive him insane! He spend most of his time on the roof with Merle, who didn't seem to mind his company at all. He liked it up on the roof or anywhere else that was a high place. It was a good place to escape everyone else and it gave him time to think.

"Van-Sama, are you going to continue to ignore the queen like this all week?" Merle asked. "I mean you are expected to do _that_ with her sometime, they are expecting a heir." Merle said. She didn't like the idea that Van and Hitomi got married, but she was going to have to accept it, just like everyone else.

"Of course I'm not going to. You know I didn't want this wedding in the first place Merle, and you expect me to do _that_ with her like every one else does?" Van asked. "I plan on staying up here where its safe as long as I can."

Merle shook her head. "Well you can't hide from her forever Van-Sama, I don't like this marriage any more than you do, but I don't think that you should hide from her."

"Mind your own business Merle, I respect you as a friend but right now you're starting to irritate me." Van said somewhat coldly.

"Do what you want." Merle said and sat there quietly.

"You're leaving today, Mamoru?" Hitomi asked her brother somewhat sadly.

Mamoru laughed at his sister and petted her on the head. "Yes, I am." Mamoru replied. "I have to get back. Mamoru said. "After all I did kind of steal you away and now I have to deal with my punishment. By now they have found out that I escaped with you and that a messenger is long on his way and Fanelia should be getting it soon." He said sighing. Mamoru said as he then kissed his sister on the forehead. "You remember to mind your manners and when a man tries to pick a fight with you well you fight them back"

"No, I think I'll act like a weak little girl who can't do anything." Hitomi said smirking evilly and Mamoru laughed. "I think I actually pity the king." Mamoru said shaking his head. "Your innocent act is over and his life is going to be a living hell. I'll try to come visit when I can but that probably won't be too often now especially once mother and father get hold of me." Mamoru said. "Bye." With that he got on the horse and Hitomi watched from the castle gates as he rode down to where the airship was waiting for him. Hitomi couldn't help but sigh as she watched her brother ride down. She knew that this would be the last time she would see her brother for a long time. Hitomi slowly made her way back up to the castle doors, and suddenly stopped once she got to the castle; it suddenly felt hot, so very hot.

"Are you feeling well your highness?" She heard a guard ask her as she started to collapse but was caught by the man.

"Yes, I'm just tired, that's all." Hitomi lied not wanting to worry the guard about anything and then stood up. "Thank you." She added.

"Do you need someone to escort you back inside?" The guard asked worriedly.

"No, I'm fine, I'll manage." Hitomi said and gave a fake smile as she walked inside. She felt so hot, the weather wasn't hot in Fanelia on the cool spring day, but it felt so terribly hot, why? She wondered as she made her way through the castle. She wanted to be alone and figured that Van would be in their room or somewhere near it and had noticed how he barely went to the gardens, so she decided to go there not knowing why. By the time she got there she wished she would have went to her room, she felt horrible, and was beginning to have a hard time breathing. She was going to sit down on a bench, but fell to her knees instead. Sweat rolled down her face as she kneeled there. It was so hot, so hard to breath, why? She wondered.

As much as Van hated to do it, he knew that he had to spend some time with his new wife since it would look strange to his people and to the people who worked at the castle, if he spent no time at all with her. He started to ask around the castle if they saw Hitomi, or to them, the Queen Hitomi. Most people said they seen her walking to the garden and he had figured she would be there; he just wasn't sure at first and so headed there. The last person he saw said that they defiantly seen the queen going to the garden which was a guard who was posted at the hall that lead to the garden.

"Van-Sama, nice afternoon isn't it?" Balgus asked as he passed by Van and the two men stopped.

"Umm… yes." Van replied.

"I'll see you later, excuse me." Balgus said which made Van wonder why the man even bothered stopped to talk and shook his head of it and walked down the path and out the door. It was a nice afternoon, as much as Van hated to admit it, it was. He knew these gardens well and use to play in them as a child with his brother Folken. There where also times when he would hide from his mother in these gardens, but she knew them as well as he did and would usually find him. The spring breeze blew at his hair which didn't really make a difference to it. He saw a person who looked like Hitomi by one of the benches and went to her. "Hitomi?" Van asked cautiously not sure if it was her or not since the woman was using the bench as a head rest.

Hitomi barely looked up as soon as she heard her name and tried not to groan since it was the person she didn't really want to see at the moment. She quickly stood up which made things worse, her head started to spin. "Van, I mean umm…"

"You don't have to call me by my title Hitomi." Van said and looked at her with a worried look. He didn't care for her, he was just worried. If he had seen any one laying like that he would be worried. "Is something wrong? I could have sworn you where…"

"I'm fine, I just thought I saw something underneath there that looked interesting and realized it wasn't what I thought it was." Hitomi lied, and wished he would go away so she could lie her head down again; it was beginning to be unbearable. "Am I needed for something?" Hitomi asked wondered what Van wanted.

"No, not like this is voluntarily, but I figured that since this is our honeymoon, or is suppose to be, that I'd spend some time with you." Van said somewhat nervously wondering how she would take it. "So it doesn't look specious or anything."

"_Great…"_ Hitomi thought. "Yes, do what you want." She replied not knowing how to respond to that and that's when it all seem to happen. Her eyes widened and Van quickly rushed over to her.

Fanelia was burning, it was on fire, everything. All of the people where in panic, all of the women and children where scattering trying to run to the safe areas. The men where being called to fight. She saw guymelofs fighting something they couldn't see, why couldn't they see them? It was so hot!

The vision ended and her eyes went back to normal. "Van, hurry, Fanelia's going to burn…" Hitomi manage to say and her eyes closed and let her body fall limp in Van's arms.

"HITOMI!" Van shouted not knowing what to do and wondered what it was that she had told him about Fanelia burning. He took off his glove and felt her forehead and noticed how hot it was. "Shit, she's running a fever!" Van swore and he picked her up and took her inside. The guard inside looked at him and started to question Van but he was quicker. "GO GET A HEALER AND NO ARGUING WITH ME!" Van shouted at the man who then ran faster then Van had ever seen the guard run. He remembered Hitomi's words. "I'm fine Van…" She wasn't fine that was for sure. He didn't think he was either, why was his heart pounding? He was worried sick over this woman and didn't even care for her. He was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with himself.

It was at the moment when he brought her to their room and to their bed when he remembered her words. "Van, hurry, Fanelia's going to burn…" What on Gaea did she mean by that?


	9. Hitomi's Secret Revealed

_**Chapter Nine – Hitomi's Secret Revealed**_

When Hitomi woke up Van was at her side. It wasn't hot anymore and, she almost didn't notice the damp cloth on her forehead until she rolled over on her side to get a better look at Van. She opened her mouth to speak but Van was faster.

"How are you feeling, Hitomi?" Van asked as he looked down at his wife. He wondered why he even bothered to care and sit by Hitomi's side through out the night. He removed the cloth and felt her forehead, it wasn't as hot any more, at least that was a good sign. He wondered why he worried about Hitomi so much even though he hated her.

"Van, Fanelia, its going to burn." Hitomi said suddenly and grabbed his arm. "It's going to burn, you need to warn everyone." Hitomi said frantically, remembering the vision.

"Hitomi, you're not feeling well, fevers can make you see strange things little lady." A familiar voice said and she turned to Balgus. "Balgus-San, please, listen, Van listen to me!" Hitomi said and Van just shook his head. "Van, you need to listen to me, I'm not crazy!" Hitomi said as she watched her husband try to get up to leave and grabbed hold of his wrist even tighter. "I… I can see things." Hitomi finally said which seemed to catch hold of his attention. "I've always had hunches that where more then just a hunch!"

"You need your rest, Hitomi." Van said somewhat coolly considered to how cold he's been to her these past few days. "You've dreamt something weird so try to get some rest. The healer said that this would put you to sleep in a dreamless sleep." Van said as he took the medicine by Hitomi's side but Hitomi wouldn't let him go.

"I'm not dreaming; send a letter to my brother if you don't believe me. I'd say my parents but they would freak if they knew you…" Hitomi started to say but then she was suddenly left with out any energy and fell back to the bed. She just turned her head to the side and didn't even bother looking at Balgus or Van any more. "Just go, I can take care of myself." Hitomi said somewhat coldly not feeling like arguing with Van at this moment. They thought she was crazy, there was no doubt about it, what pissed her off even more was that Van and Balgus just looked at one another.

Van was a bit hesitant but shrugged and then walked off. Women, he was never going to be able understand them. His thoughts remained on what she said though and he was glad that Balgus followed_. "Van, Fanelia is going to burn."_ Van could hear Hitomi's voice even when they weren't in the same room any more. "I need to talk to you alone Balgus, and don't argue with me either."

"Is she not feeling well because of that Van-Sama?" Balgus asked once they where alone.

"No, we haven't even done that yet Balgus." Van replied. "She seems almost certain about this." Van said as he sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"She did not give us any specific date to when Fanelia would be burned." Balgus said which made Van look at him. "If the queen is telling the truth, we could be attacked today, tomorrow, or a couple of years for now." Balgus said which made Van just sigh again. "If I may speak freely Van-Sama, but I think you might want to just put this off as a fever dream." Balgus said which made Van shoot up a glance at Balgus. "We could be prepared for an enemy for years if she does in deed posses the gift of sight, besides how well do we know the queen?" Balgus asked which made Van look down; his attention was beginning to loose itself to his thoughts.

"That reminds me Van-Sama, you said that you and the queen have not yet mated?" Balgus asked which made Van blush.

"No, that's none of your business." Van said as he tried to calm his heating cheeks so that Balgus wouldn't notice.

"Van-Sama, must I remind you again that Fanelia needs an heir Van-Sama." Balgus asked which made Van's eyes once again to the floor; his teacher was the only one who could make him not speak back to. "Fanelia needs a heir, we are at peace now, but if it is as Queen Hitomi says then in a matter of days, weeks, months, or even years we could be under attack; what if something should happen to you?"

"Balgus, I have never said this before, but you are out of place." Van said as he finally looked up at Balgus. "Right now we are at peace; there are no current neighboring threats to Fanelia. When I want to have an heir, I will have an heir on my own terms, not because you or some council says I have to have one." Van said which surprised himself. It was not like him to talk back to his teacher like this, or to one of the four lord generals, but this was his decision, it was not a matter of war, and technically not a matter that was any business to his council or generals so it was his decision. His father got to marry out of love and had him and his brother out of love, why should he not have the same position? Love, what was it? He had forgotten what it was over these past years of his life, his father had died when he was young, his brother had died some time after that as well; and then his mother, his mother had gone to the dragons nest to find Folken, his brother, and she never returned. His hole life he was constantly surrounded by the council, and Balgus always telling him what to do.

Van, he thought she was crazy, she knew it. She had seen that look in people's eyes before when she had told them when something was going to happen. Then again, like his love, she didn't expect to easily have his trust, just because they married didn't mean a thing. The vision worried her, she couldn't tell who was attacking Fanelia or when but she knew that someone wanted Fanelia to burn, and what was that white guymelof she had seen, the EscaFlowne? She had so many questions but no answers, and she was afraid that time would be the answer to their problems. She sighed as she sat in the bed, her unfinished medicine on the night stand. They've been married for a couple of days now and Van continued to ignore her; she didn't expect anything out of him, but she wouldn't mind at least to get the chance to know him.

Millerna had said that she should try to be his friend first, how could she do that if he wasn't even going to talk to her? Not to mention he now thought she was probably crazy and she hoped that he wouldn't lock her up again. No, she wouldn't give him the chance to do that; she would run away if he tried to lock her up like her family did. Run, run to where? She didn't even know where she could run to. She hoped she would earn his trust before he decided to through her in the dungeons or lock her away somewhere. She closed her eyes and sighed. She had to prove to Van that she wasn't crazy; maybe she should try talking to him when she was calmer? She only had a few more days left of their honeymoon to even get to see him since after that he would be back to work, and she would be doing whatever it was that queens where suppose to do other then producing heirs. Women where more useful then just having babies, she wanted to prove that to Van to. Then again Van hadn't even been with her in that manner yet and she wondered if that was a good or bad thing? She sighed.

The day passed and the next day Hitomi was fine. She sighed as she saw Van who just ran his hand through his hair. "Do you want to join me?" Van finally asked as he tried to keep the annoyed look off of his face. "The healer said that you're doing better and I figured maybe you would want to see around Fanelia?" Van asked as Hitomi just looked at him strangely.

"Sure." Hitomi said not really knowing what to say to that. She had seen most of Fanelia, but if he wanted to spend time with her then, she would let him. "How are we going to get around?"

"I figured that you would see more by horse." Van said. "If that's ok with you…"

"That's fine." Hitomi said. "I just have to change first."

"And about the other night…" Van said finally which made Hitomi look up at him. "When I walked in on you if I didn't apologize already, I'm sorry."

"Oh, that…" Hitomi said blushing. "I'm sorry to, it wasn't my idea to change right there."

"I'll wait for you to change outside if you want." Van said and Hitomi shrugged. "Do what you want, your highness." Hitomi said and went to the dresser and pulled out something and went to the bathroom. When she came out she was wearing pants and a dress like shirt, it was short, but it wasn't too short. (Kind of like what Millerna was wearing when she first appears in the t.v. show.)

"Should you be wearing something like that?" Van asked never having had seen Hitomi or any women, wearing pants. It wasn't a custom in his country for women to be wearing men's clothes.

"Of course, we females in Tier wear this all of the time when we go horse back riding; then again it's common for women in Tier to wear pants just as often as the men." Hitomi explained.

"Oh, Fanelian women usually wear dresses and it's not really a common thing for you to see women here to wear pants." Van said.

"I know, come on." Hitomi urged.

"Alright…" Van said trying to hold back the sigh that wanted to come. Reluctantly he held out his arm to her, and she took it. With that he led her outside the castle and to the horses.

Hitomi had a little bit of a hard time at ridding the horse at first, but that's because she hadn't been on one in a few years. The last time she was on one she was eight, and she hadn't been on one since then. Not like she had a choice in the matter, but oh well. She rode silently along next to Van who stopped in a nice place. He took out a blanket and laid it down as well as something in a bag.

"You never told me anything about a picnic." Hitomi said not knowing what to think of her husband. He seemed cold, but he was also surprising. She was confused by him, by his actions. He was really kind to other people, but to her he was cruel. She knew that this marriage wasn't his choice and that he probably didn't even want to be around her but here he was, he was the one who asked her to come here. He confused her, he really did.

"I asked the cook to make us something that we could take." Van said. "I'm not sure exactly what you like so…"

"No, it's fine." Hitomi said as she was handed something. "Thanks, but why?"

"I thought you might want to get out after being cooped up inside all day yesterday." Van said. "Besides, Balgus said I should spend some time with you…"

"Oh." Hitomi said. Part of her hoped that Van had come on his own free will to take her, she guessed that she was wrong.

"And I wanted to ask you." Van said suddenly which made Hitomi look up at him. "Why did you continue to say that Fanelia would burn yesterday?"

Hitomi looked down sighed and then looked up. "Ever since I was little my hunches have been a little more accurate than just hunches, they've always happened. This is the reason why my parents tried to get out of the marriage." Hitomi started to explain. "Once they realized my ability it was too late, too late to get out of the marriage since I was a valuable tool of war to them. I was no longer their daughter but a weapon only kept for their use. I was locked up in the dungeons which was changed in to a room like atmosphere and have been there ever since. I can see visions of the past, present, and future as they wish to come." Hitomi finished explaining. "It's not a controlled thing if you're wondering."

"That explains a lot to why your parents tried to get out of the marriage." Van said shaking his head.

"Something wrong?" Hitomi asked after taking a bite of her fruit.

"No, nothing, it all just makes sense now. We where wondering why make a pact and try to get out of it, it all makes sense. Why give something away that can be used as a weapon?" Van said as he understood her parents' reason. He noticed the worried look on Hitomi's face as he said that. "Don't worry, I won't lock you away." Van promised. "Or try not to use you like your parents did, my parents taught me better then that."

"_I wonder what his parents are like, his family for that matter."_ Hitomi thought to herself. She figured that it would best be left alone for the time being. "Thank you." Hitomi said not knowing what to say to that and they ate in silence.

'_I've found out something that feels strange to me about my husband today, he's not as cold hearted as he seems. I always knew that he wasn't, but he actually showed it to me. Maybe there's hope for us after all, maybe.'_


	10. Love Is Strange Isn't It?

**_Chapter Ten – Confessions of the Heart_**

Van hated these damn meetings with the advisers, they where always boring, but yet he had to attend to them anyways because he was the king. If his brother had lived, than he wouldn't have to attend so many of these meetings and his brother would be king, that sounded selfish, but in a way it was true. If his brother had completed the dragon slaying, than his brother would have been the king. Hitomi would be Folken's wife, and he would just be there somewhere in the background.

He was beginning to wish that he was back on his honeymoon with Hitomi so he could have an excuse to get away from here. His mind seemed to wander on the horrible vision that Hitomi had told him.

"King Van!" A voice said loudly which brought his mind back to the matters at hand.

"Yes?" Van asked as he looked at the older man, who was middle aged with brown hair and a beard.

"Your highness, we where just discussing the trade routes from here to Fried and we wondered what your thoughts are on that since we should now have somewhat a more easy access to Fried since Queen Hitomi is Duke Fried's niece." The man, Sai said as he looked at his king. "What are your opinions on this?"

"Fried could bring a lot of business in to Fanelia or the other way around." Van explained finally acting like he was paying any bit of attention. "Though wouldn't it cause some trouble with Asturia who trades with Fried constantly?" Van asked.

"Yes, but we figured that the Duke wouldn't mind because…"

"Because the queen is his niece, I know. We could try it." Van finally said. "And possibly work something out with Asturia as well." Van knew that the king of Asturia could be tricky.

"Then that's everything." Sai said to Van who seemed to lose his attention again.

He wanted to bring the subject up of Hitomi's vision but decided against it; some things where best left alone when they where unsure. His father had told him that and he didn't want to make himself sound like a fool. "Dismissed!" Van said being glad to get rid of them and had a pile of work forming in his office, it was going to be a long day.

As he headed out of the room and down the hall to where his office was, his father's old office when he was king; he heard someone walking quickly to join him which made him stop. He turned around at the exact moment he heard his name being called. He tried not to frown and manage not to now seeing Sai once again. "Yes?" Van asked and Sai looked at him for a moment.

"The council is wondering if there will be chances of you having a heir sometime soon." Sai said nervously knowing how the king was on the subject.

"I will have a heir on my own time Sai!" Van snapped and Sai just looked at him. "I have told you and the council many times!"

"Yes but… what if a war…."

"What about a war Sai? Is there information that you are not giving me?" Van asked. "The with draw of important information of a council member to their king if almost just as bad as treason! Especially if the information has to deal with talk of a war." Van said his voice strong.

"No, there's not, I was just saying in case there is a war you need…"

"We are living in peaceful times now Sai and do not dare ask me that question again." Van said in a tone to where no one argued with him whenever he used it. He turned his heals and walked in the path where he was going before he was interrupted. He had a funny feeling that Sai was not telling him the whole truth and he would find out sooner or later though he hoped sooner then later.

Hitomi sighed as she looked out the balcony and down at Fanelia's city below. She could go visit it and should since she hadn't been in the city in a while, and that she knew that it was a bad image for the queen not to visit. It was strange having all new sorts of freedoms when she wasn't talking to the council, a good way to get people to trust you is that you should walk among them; that's what her grandmother had told her. Her grandmother was a wise queen when she was alive and wondered how her mother had become the way she was. She put on a dress that wasn't too formal which was hard because most of her dresses where of the Fanelia royal type of dresses and she walked outside of the room. As she approached the gates the guard stopped her and she looked at them with curiosity.

"Your highness where do you think you're going?" The man asked as he grabbed hold of Hitomi's arm.

"Let go of me I am going out! What does it look like and release me now." Hitomi ordered.

"Who gave you permission to?"

"I don't need permission to go outside of the castle!" Hitomi snapped. "I think I'm old enough to handle myself, now release me at once!" Another samurai came over after hearing the commotion going on.

"What is it?" The samurai, a young brown head man asked.

"I think I'll tell Lord Balgus about this…" Hitomi said as she talked to the second samurai. "About the samurai grabbing the queen like this."

"Well…" The second samurai said to the first.

"She's the queen." The first samurai said bluntly.

"And?" The second samurai asked as he looked hard at the first.

"And, is she suppose to be going out of the castle by herself?" The first samurai asked and the second samurai with drew his sword and slapped the first samurai's wrist with the flat side of his blade.

"Do not question the queen again for you have dishonored yourself." The second samurai snapped. "The queen doesn't need permission to go outside of the castle unless if King Van tells us other wise, you are a new samurai yet and have a long way to learn if you're going to keep acting like that to every woman who comes to leave the castle gates." The second samurai lectured and then turned to Hitomi and bowed. "Forgive him for his rudeness, he will be dealt with, are you hurt?" The second samurai asked as he noticed Hitomi's wrist was red.

"No, I'm not." Hitomi half lied since it did sting only a little since the samurai's grip was so strong. "Thank you…." Hitomi said not knowing what to say.

"I'll take care of this one, Lord Balgus or the king will not be pleased that you have been treated in such a way." The second samurai said and bowed respectfully to Hitomi who stared at him for a moment. She then made her way down to the city.

Fanelia was an amazing place and she had been here before but never by herself. She figured that if she was with a samurai all of the time she would never earn the people's trust so she had to do this on her own. There where so many different stores and other people here to trade things. It was strange seeing so many people since she had been locked up most of her life she wasn't use to this. Is this what freedom felt like? To be able to move around with the others as she pleased? Than again, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it, Fanelia was her own cage as well, she was allowed to move as she pleased yes, but Fanelia was where she was forced to be. A cage wasn't necessarily surrounded with in walls, but forced to be a place where you didn't want to be. That was what a cage was to her.

Children where playing and the adults where busy doing what ever it was that they where doing. Hitomi felt so alone even though she was in a crowd. A ball came up to her and a child paused a short distance away. Hitomi picked it up and tossed it to the little boy who took it and ran off with his friends to play. Hitomi smiled and a woman just stared at her.

"Queen Hitomi…" The woman said and quickly bowed. Hitomi just looked at her not sure what to say. "It has been a long time since we last seen a queen walking in Fanelia's streets your highness."

"You mean King Van's mother…" Hitomi said never having had heard Van even speak of his family.

"Yes." The woman replied. "It may seem strange but I use to know her since I use to work in the castle when she was alive."

"If you're not busy could you tell me about her umm…."

"Sorry I forgot to tell you my name I'm Ayami your highness." Hitomi nodded. "I would like to tell you about her since I was once her personal maid, and I have time since the children are out playing, come this way."

Ayami told Hitomi about Van's mother who seemed to be completely different then Hitomi's mother, then again, this was also coming from the perspective of a woman who worked for the former queen and not someone who knew the queen quite well personally. Hitomi wondered if she could ever live up to Queen Varie's (Tell me if I spelt her name wrong!) legacy toward her people. "Thank you." Hitomi said.

"King Van probably doesn't like talking about her much." Ayami explained. "He doesn't seem to like to talk about any of his family much and whenever someone mentions someone from his family he seems to get touchy on the subject."

"Yes, I know." Hitomi said and looked outside the window noticing that it was late in the afternoon. "I should probably be going back before they decide to send someone to come look for me." Hitomi said apologetically.

"Yes." Ayami agreed. "I did not mean to keep you this long."

"No, that's fine I had a free day today anyway. I would like it if you didn't tell anyone what we talked about; you're a seamstress aren't you?"

"Yes but…"

"Seeing how you are the king's mother's former personal maid, it would be strange for me to spend a few hours with you. In exchange for the story I could buy a few dresses from you since I'll probably need a new one for Fanelia's Festival that's coming up, well…"

"I didn't mind…."

"I insist." Hitomi said. She picked out a few different materials, and colors for the dress and it seemed that it was appropriate for her to wear Fanelian colors to the Festival which was also a ball and she chose a couple of others as well. When she got back to the castle it was still day light but in the evening; the sun was about to set.

"You returned late your highness." Balgus said greeting her at the gate. "I was just about to go out and look for you afraid that you might have gotten lost, kidnapped or..."

"Sorry." Hitomi apologized. "I ended up finding a good seamstress for my dresses and well that can take a bit of time and walking back up here can take a bit of time to." Hitomi explained.

"You could have had one of the samurai on the streets take you back." Balgus said as they walked to the castle together.

"No, I like walking." Hitomi said which was partly true. "You seem to forget Lord Balgus that the country that I grew up in is very different from Fanelia." Hitomi explained. "Women walking and running as well as wearing mens clothing is common." That was the end of the conversation she felt bad lieing to Balgus but it had to be done.

Van was already inside their room and looked at her when she entered. "You're late…" Van said and Hitomi tried her hardest not to frown.

"Sorry, I was at a seamstress buying a new dress for the coming festival." Hitomi said which wasn't a complete lie, she wondered what his reaction would be if she told him that she had been hearing about his mother.

"Oh…" Van said. "About that…"

"Don't worry I won't embarrass you when it's time for that." Hitomi said blushing. She could feel the ring that Van had given her on her finger, the ring of the Fanelian crest, the same symbol that was on Van's sword. She couldn't believe what she did next because she dared to move herself forward to her husband and rest her head on Van's chest and could hear the sound of his heart beating. Her arms wrapped around his warm body. "I wouldn't embarrass you Van, because I love you." She then looked up at him and kissed him. He didn't kiss her back, he didn't do anything but she could feel Van stiffen up at her kiss, in fact he had started to stiffen up when she had first touched him she realized.. When she finally released the kiss she could see the look of shock and something else in his eyes. She didn't know why she just did that, why, why did she just do that? Before she let him say anything she ran out of the room. She knew that look in his eyes, it was rejection.


	11. Pranks

_**Chapter Eleven – Pranks **_

By the time Hitomi stopped running, she was far from their room, but still on the castle grounds. Why, why had she kissed him like that? She knew that she loved him, and that he didn't even love her and that their friendship was forced upon them, but she wanted to at least get the chance to be close to him. Tears came down her eyes as she sat there all alone and decided that going to the garden wasn't the best place to be alone at the moment. Then again, there weren't really all that many places to be alone in the castle and especially since you where the queen. Yes, she did have her own private rooms, but Van could find her easily there and he knew by now that she liked going to the garden after they had a fight or something else like that. She found herself alone and outside at the back side of the castle.

She didn't know why she loved him, or how she had even come to love him. She wondered if this was how Varie felt when she had married the former king of Fanelia. Rejection, forced friendship, and a false life, feelings she wondered if a person was even suppose to feel all of their lives. Sometimes she wished that she would have ran away before she even came here, sure she was good at acting like she was happy but all of the sadness was beginning to catch up with her, and especially after what had just happened minutes ago. She sat down by the tree and huddled her knees together and began to cry. Baka, baka, baka, she was such a baka. When did she start to love Van? They had been married only a few weeks and she had just told him that she had loved him, and actually meant it! What was she going to do? She knew that she couldn't hide here forever.

Van just stood there and it took a moment before he realized what had just happened. _'Damn it! What else can go wrong now?'_ Van wondered and kicked the bed like a child throwing a fit but it wasn't that bad since it was only one kick, but it was still a childish thing to do. It wasn't _his_ fault that Hitomi fell in love with him or that he didn't love her or that he married her. Their parents where to blame because they where the ones who had arranged this whole marriage. It wasn't _his_ fault that Hitomi had fallen in love with him, what kind of woman was dumb enough to fall in love with a guy who had been nothing but mean and cruel towards them? He had done that on purpose to make her not want to be close to him, but in the end, it seemed to go in the completely different direction then he had planned. She was a strange girl, and he was calling her a girl because she was acting childish! Running off in the middle of a fight, that was childish! What was her problem anyway?

The sun had already set and the nights where getting chillier now. Damn it! If she got sick then it would be his fault. He grabbed one of Hitomi's shawls and went outside. Why did she run away like that after she kissed him? Then again why had she kissed him, it was technically her fault! He groaned at the thought of asking Balgus's for help to find her and he hated it when he had his samurai involved with his own personal affairs. However, he wasn't stupid and knew that two people looking for one person was a bigger chance to find them then just one.

When he found Balgus he had explained to the samurai what had happened which made Balgus just frown at him. "It was probably something to do with your eyes." Balgus explained as he looked down at the young king.

"What do you mean by that?" Van asked. "You where never married so you wouldn't know."

"I know that Van-Sama, however I was young once believe it or not and I did like a girl when I was younger. They can tell if you like them or not by the look in your eyes. I use to like one girl and then met another some time after who I had fallen for. The first girl could sense it. That was long before I had ever become a samurai I was very young back then and I asked my mother about it. Her answer was that some women can tell what men are thinking most of the time by just looking in to their eyes." Balgus explained. "Women always seem to have sort of some sort of six sense that allows them to tell what you're thinking or doing or what you are about to do. That's what makes them such good mothers I guess."

Van said nothing but looked away from his teacher. "I'll go look for her then." Van said not feeling like talking about the subject with his teacher any more, but than again, who was there? It's not like his mother was still around or he had his older brother around to help him any more. "I'll take one side of the castle and you can take the other." Van said. "I don't want any one to know about it because I don't want this to cause an uproar about the queen missing. I don't need word to reach to Tier that I can't even take care of their daughter." Van said and Balgus nodded. As Van was about to leave he could hear Balgus call him.

"Van-Sama, how is it that you expect us to find one another if we find her first?" Balgus asked and Van sighed. "I don't know… I haven't thought of that yet, let's just look and meet back here in three hours." Van finally said.

"Yes Van-Sama."

It seemed as if Hitomi had completely ran off. She was acting like some spoiled child who didn't get their way when their parents said no to something. Then again, this was his fault technically since he should have at least acted like he liked Hitomi at the very least. Three hours had already come to pass when he found Balgus carrying someone in his arms as he headed towards the castle. "Where was she?" Van asked annoyedly as he spotted the sleeping Hitomi in Balgus arms, and wondered how she could have fallen asleep outside since it had started to rain and the three where both drenched.

"Not in her usual place." Balgus answered. "Behind the castle where the trees are."

"Thank you Balgus." Van said.

"It is my duty to protect the king and queen of Fanelia Van-Sama, no thanks is needed."

"No, just because…" Van said and then decided that it was best to change the subject. "We should get inside before we catch colds." Van said and Balgus agreed. No one asked why the three came inside way after dark or why they where all wet. Van would have snapped at them if anyone asked. Balgus laid the still wet Hitomi down on the bed.

"She needs to get changed." Balgus said. "Or she will catch a cold even though she is inside."

"I'll get one of her maids to do it." Van said and actually wondered at that point if she had any maids. "On second thought I'll just ask one of the maids to do it, I don't think she has her own actually…"

Balgus grinned at that. "A queen with out any maids, how unusual."

"Then again she is very unusual for a person, Balgus." Van said and the man left leaving the two alone. "What am I going to do with you Hitomi?" Van asked and ran his hand through Hitomi's wet hair. _'How am I going to explain this to the maid that I choose to undress her…'_ Van thought and finally found an excuse. He knew that they would have to talk about this in the morning when she woke up, as awkward as it would be it would have to be done. After quickly changing in to a pair of dry clothes he went out in to the hall and called one of the maids who was on duty.

When Hitomi woke up she realized that she was in her bedroom and in her nightgown. Her eyes widened as thoughts quickly came to mind to how she got here and who had changed her. Her eyes trailed over to the presence she now felt and now realized that it was Van. He sat in a chair next to the bed already clothed and was frowning at her. She quickly sat up. She couldn't face him now, not after what she had done. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks as she looked at him. Van, oh gods, why did he have to look at her like that? Just looking in to his eyes made her melt in them. Was this love? No, she decided. Not really since this love was a one sided love. Van opened his mouth to say something but she was quicker. "I'm sorry about last night Van." Hitomi said. "It was a joke, I just wanted to see your reaction to it if I did actually kiss you." Hitomi forced herself to laugh. "It seems as if I had gotten the reaction that I expected to get." Her voice was somewhat cold, but then again why would she show any emotion now to the man who had rejected her completely.

"Hitomi…" Was all that Van had managed to say.

"It's a game that my friend Yukari and I use to play when we where little." She lied. "We always got in trouble for it when we where caught, kiss a boy to see his reaction." This wasn't a complete lie, it was Yukari who did the playing. "Yukari always got kicks out of it, I never found out why though." She finished. "Don't you have something else better to do today then to be hanging around someone like me?" Hitomi asked coldly which made Van just stare at her as if she wasn't even Hitomi. This was how she had to react around him now just so she wouldn't embarrass herself. Cold, distant, hateful, she didn't know the meaning of love so why should she show it to a man who had already rejected her completely.

"Hitomi…" Van said again.

"Go, other wise they'll come looking for you." Hitomi said trying her hardest not to let her true emotions show. She just wanted to be left alone, and Van being here wasn't helping anything since she wanted to be left alone. She was a loner, and she always would be, sure she had friends when she was a kid, but after that, well she didn't really have any any more. "It's late in the morning as is." Hitomi said and quickly stood up and grabbed one of the dresses not caring which one and walked to the bathroom so she would have an excuse to get away from him. Once in the bathroom she shut the door and held her back to it. She heard the bedroom door open and shut and she allowed herself to slide down and started to cry.

Things had just gotten from bad to worse in his and Hitomi's relationship. The festival/ball was a week away and right now they where on the verge of raising hell between one another. He didn't understand his wife, one moment she was saying that she loved him and the next minute she was saying that it was all just a joke. They seriously needed to talk about things. This was all his father's fault, that was for sure, because his father was the one who arranged this with King Tier. Van shook his head as he walked to the door to his office, it was going to be a long day.


	12. Relationships Are a Difficult Thing

_**Chapter Twelve – Relationships Are a Difficult Thing**_

Two days had gone by since the day when she had kissed Van and they hadn't spoke since that day because whenever Van wasn't busy she stayed out of sight and she was usually busy when he wasn't. The only time they even spoke to one another was when they where both summoned the council chambers at the same time, and Hitomi only talked to the council members even though Van listened, or at least she thought he did.

This whole thing was getting out of hand, and Van was growing tired of it. Hitomi had even acted as if there was nothing wrong between their relationship in public, but he knew it was only an act. Why did it bother him that she was ignoring him like this? Wasn't he the one who told her that there would be no love in this relationship? If that was true, why did it aggravate him when she would talk to others but not him? It drove him almost mad. Their marriage had been forced upon them and they still hadn't even made love yet even though they had been married for some time since he was too stubborn to even simply hug her. He still needed time to adjust and get use to the idea of being married. He didn't want this, but why was it that he was still annoyed? Hitomi's voice was clear but somewhat timid in front of the council since he knew she wasn't use to giving other people advice since he knew what she went through as a child or at least had the general picture to what she went through since she had told him.

"You'll have to ask my fa… the King of Tier about that." Van heard Hitomi say as they asked her something that had to do with her old country. "I wouldn't know." Hitomi's voice quivered as she talked about her father and former home. He could hear it in her voice.

"Is that all?" Hitomi asked. "The reason why you summoned me was to talk about my old countries trade routes and whether or not the King of Tier would allow Fanelia to use them? Ask him instead of me." She said clearly. "You seem to forget that I am now the Fanelian Queen, not a Tierian princess any longer!" Hitomi said clearly as if reminding them who was in charge next to the king, she might be a woman, but she wasn't going to be walked over on just because she wasn't the main power.. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other duties to do." Hitomi said and excused herself before slipping out the door before anyone could say anything.

Hitomi couldn't stand this any more. Why had she ever come here early to marry this man who had been nothing but a pain to her since she arrived. How many months had it been since their wedding; three, four? Hitomi didn't know any more since she lost count. She pulled the shawl around her more tightly, winter was here, and winter was colder in Fanelia than it was in Tier. Or maybe it was because she never got to be around to really experience it? That was the least of her problems. With her and Van's fighting going on in private and since they didn't want the people to know that only in four months of their marriage that they where fighting. She could do nothing but to act with a wall around her to keep the hurt out that this country was causing her. She was Van's wife but he couldn't even seem to handle a simple kiss with out over reacting. Maybe she was foolish; yes, that was right, she was foolish. Mamoru always called her his foolish little sister and he was right. Love, freedom, what did those two words mean? She would probably never find out. She was a traitor, she had run away from her own country to come here and marry Van, that was another thing she had to worry about, her parents hadn't sent anything yet about her running away, she wondered what they where planning. They had made too much of a fuss about trying to get out of the marriage for her to get away this easily and she wondered if Oni-chan was alright since she hadn't heard from him since he had left. Maybe she was making too big of a fuss about all of this, maybe she wasn't, she didn't know. All she knew was that her parents weren't very forgiving and that they weren't going to let her get away so easily. Her parents minds had swayed from what they use to be.

She spotted the neko girl Merle as Merle turned from the previous corner and in to the hallway she was in. They stared at one another for a moment. It was then when she realized that there was something there between Merle and Van. Van had told her once that Merle was simply a childhood friend and a sister like figure but she could sense that Merle's feelings where more then that.

She looked away not wanting to even think those thoughts and that's when it happened. Her eyes went wide as a painful stabbing like feeling could be felt in her chest. She slammed herself closer to the wall, trying to use it as something that could help her keep up right or keep her balance but she only ended up sliding down it instead. Her breathing was heavy and the last thing she remembered was falling to the floor and the sound of someone calling her name.

Merle ran to the queen's side not knowing what was happening but she knew that this wasn't normal, even for the weird queen to suddenly pass out like that and look as if they where in pain. "I've got to get Van-Sama!" Merle thought instantly after trying to wake Hitomi up for a few moments by calling her name over and over again, it was no use, her voice wouldn't reach Hitomi's. There was no blood on the queen and there where no injures that she could see. However, she knew that someone suddenly crying out like that wasn't normal. "Stay with Queen Hitomi!" Merle shouted at one of the maids as she saw the woman come out of a room. "She's fainted suddenly and I'm going to go get a healer as well as King Van!" She ordered. She didn't really have the right to order anyone, but the maid seemed to listen.

"Hai Merle." The woman replied and quickly dropped whatever piece of cloth she held in her hands and ran to the queens side.

"Don't leave her side." Merle said. "She just fainted suddenly stay by her side!"

"Hai!" The maid said instantly at the order and knelt down next to the queen carefully.

"I'll be back with Van-Sama." Merle whispered to the fallen queen before leaping in to a run down the hall in the direction where Hitomi had just came from. She found Van finally after asking around in the hallways to the servants and ran in to the meeting room with out even knocking and she didn't care that she would be scolded for just barging in. She slammed the door open and all eyes turned on her.

"Merle, just because you are Van-Sama's friend doesn't give you the right to just barge in on…" A man started to scold but was interrupted.

"Van-Sama, it's Queen Hitomi, something's wrong with her." Merle said panting as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hitomi?" Van asked as soon as he heard his wife's name. "What is it?"

"I don't know Van-Sama, I saw her walking down the hallway and then she suddenly collapsed." Merle explained quickly. "Before she collapsed she fell against the wall and her eyes got wide and she seemed to be in pain because she suddenly clutched hold of her chest as if she was in pain." Merle finished. "Van-Sama!"

"I know, I'm going." Van said and stopped only to look back at the people calling his name. "I don't give a damn about this right now. There is apparently something wrong with _YOUR_ queen, this can wait until later, someone go get a healer and meet me in my chambers." Van ordered in a tone of voice to where there would be no arguing. "Take me to her Merle."

With out saying another word, Merle sprang off in to the direction to where she had just come from.

_It was that vision again, but why did it hurt? It was hot and Fanelia was burning. A white and red guymelof where fighting as Fanelia burned. A man's face appeared in front of me and I could do nothing but stared at him. There was a wicked look in his eyes and his face showed the same insane expression on it. I recognized that look, his eyes where blood thirty, he was a man who liked to kill out of sport. The man stood in front of a young child, a girl who had blonde white hair and gentle blue eyes and was crying even though she stood next to the Calie Knight Allen Schezar. It was as if they where one, the girl and the man, but that was impossible wasn't it? The scenery changed again and this time I was falling, in to an endless oblivion and reached my hand forward toward the sun that was high above me and there was nothing but darkness below. White feathers suddenly fell from the sky above me. I saw a man reaching his arm out to me, a smile on his face which I could not see and white beautiful wings stretched outward as his hand now caught hold of mine. I seemed to feel relived when our hands touched but wasn't this one of the cursed people of Atlantis?_

I woke up that moment with a woman hovering above me whom I assumed was a healer by what she was wearing. I was back in the room I shared with Van on our king sized bed. How did I get here? I wondered as I looked up at the now relieved faces looking down at me.

"You're awake." The woman said as I looked up in to her brown eyes.

"What happened?" I asked already knowing what happened but had to ask anyway since I'm sure that Van didn't even think that this was just another one of my visions. Than again, Van wasn't use to seeing me having visions yet and probably didn't recognize them yet. It worried me, the vision I just had was one of my more violent visions. Everything felt so real, too real, I had even felt the pain in my heart. It worried me.

"You suddenly collapsed in the hallway and Merle found you." A familiar man's voice answered before the healer had a time to speak. Hesitantly I looked in the direction to where it was coming from and saw Van there. My cheeks flushed as I looked at him as he approached the bed.

"You where out cold for at least five days now Queen Hitomi." The healer said which made me look at her with shocked eyes. "You had no signs of any fevers, no signs that you are hurt inside or out that we know of." The healer said.

"Five days…" I repeated, never before in my life has a vision lasted that long, Not even when my father had used me as a tool of war had I ever been out that long.

"Yes, Van-Sama could you step outside for a moment? I want to ask Queen Hitomi a rather personal question, it's a female thing your highness." The healer said as Van raised an eye brow.

Van didn't even say a word but walked outside like the healer had asked. Whenever anyone told a man that it was a female thing; men always seemed to leave the room.

"Queen Hitomi have you had your monthly yet this month?" The healer asked and I blushed fiercely.

"Yes, I have, it just ended a few days ago, well I guess like since it's been a little over a week now since I've been out." I said still blushing knowing what the woman was getting at. "I'm fine really, I'm not pregnant and there is no way that that's even possible."

"If you don't mind me asking why would that be?" The healer asked and Hitomi took a deep breath.

"I had my cycle so I don't think it would be possible." I said not wanting to tell the woman that Van hadn't even been with me like that yet.

"Sometimes women have their cycles while being pregnant." The woman insisted.

"Not in my family." I said. "I am not from Fanelia, I might be a woman, but the royal family of Tier's women are different when it comes to some things." I said. "Trust me I'm not pregnant and I'm not ill. I just hadn't been getting enough sleep lately since I've been practicing my sword technique at night since it's unusual for a queen to be seen with a weapon." I said half lieing. My brother had indeed taught me how to use the sword but I had not been doing it alone at night. "I don't know how his highness will act if he finds out that his queen knows how to use the sword."

"Are you sure that is all?" The woman asked and was beginning to get on my nerves. "Yes, it's from a lack of sleep I promise." I say lieing and the woman seems almost convinced.

"I'm sure that King Van would not mind if you practice your swordsman ship during the day Queen Hitomi." The woman said. "It's true that it's not commonly well known for a woman of high status to use a weapon or even touch one for that matter but I'm not from Tier so I wouldn't know your customs however, I don't think his highness would mind since he wouldn't want you to constantly collapse like that from a lack of sleep." The healer said. "I want you to stay in bed for the rest of the day since the day is already almost over with and not to mention that you just had been out for five days straight. Excuse me." The healer said and with that she left.

I was sure that the woman would tell Van and I hated lieing to him and the healer but the healer didn't need to know that I was a seer and was just having a vision and I didn't want to let Van know that it was a vision because I didn't want him to think I was insane even though he knew my story, I wasn't completely sure if he believed me or not. Van was a difficult man to read. Besides I had another trouble on my mind, my feelings for Van also came in to play and his feelings toward me where another obstacle in our strange marriage.

Van came back in with a hard to read expression on his face. He stood next to the bed and looked down at me which made be blush. "Why didn't you say something about that Hitomi?" Van asked which made me blush even more. "Why would I care that my wife knows how to fight?"

"I didn't know how you would act." I replied as I tried hard not to give in to my emotions. "To us a woman fighting right beside a man is a common thing, just like a woman working right besides a man is common as well. I just didn't want let the people see me and then rumors or something would get out."

"This isn't Tier, it's Fanelia." Van said. "Why would they do that?"

"Because they don't respect their queen yet." I replied and Van gave me a look like I just smacked him in the face. "I'm not stupid Van, I can tell that they might act like they respect me, but they don't take me seriously. To them I'm just another spoiled princess forced to marry their respectful king." My cheeks where hot. Did I just say that? I was trying my hardest not to let my feelings for Van take over but it was a loosing fight.

"Do you know how worried I was about you? When I saw you passed out like that? Merle came running in to the conference room and said something about you and when I saw you…" Van said and let his voice trailed off.

I just stared at him, was I hearing what I think I was hearing? Van was worried about me?

"Don't do anything so stupid like practicing how to fight at night again Hitomi." Van said.

My heart was fluttering as I heard Van say those things. So he really did care about me? I didn't know. I wanted to apologize but at the same time I was being stubborn since this was the man who had pushed me away so many times before.

"After seeing you lieing there for the past five days…" Van said.

My heart was breaking at his voice. I wanted to be held by this man who stood before me now. Was he confessing something to me? Or was he just worried about me as the Fanelian King and I was just another one of his people? I didn't know any more but I hoped that he was thinking of me as his wife. The next thing I knew was that he bent down and was kissing me. My eyes stared at my husband wide with shock not knowing what to think or do. He was my husband and did have the right to do this, this kiss. My heart pounded and I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Part of me felt guilty about telling the lie and not telling him about the vision. I could feel Van pressing closer against me as the kiss depend. So he really was worried about me as his wife; or at least that's what my heart hoped. That was the first time Van had free willingly kissed me or touched me, that must be the hope that Millerna hime was talking about.


	13. Sunny Days Are

**_Chapter Thirteen – Sunny Days Are ..._**

Hitomi woke up that next morning with Van close to her which made her blush fiercely remembering last nights events. She kept her head where it was, leaning against his warm bare chest. This is what she wanted right? To be close to him like this. For him to hold her? She didn't know any more. He was a difficult person to read. One moment he said that he didn't love her and the next he does; was Van just as confused as she was or maybe even more? The guilty feeling sprang in to her heart once again as she remembered the lie she told Van for the reason why she had "fainted." It was a vision, but she didn't know what it meant and until that time, she didn't want to worry Van; she knew that there was so much more on his mind that he didn't let people see. She felt his arm pull her closer which made their bodies touch; only a few layers of material separated them. She noticed how Van's breathing changed and she rolled over and saw reddish-brown eyes looking at her which made her blush even more.

"Good morning, Tomi." Van said and kissed her on the forehead. Van was acting really strange.

"Van…" Hitomi said blushing as he kissed her, he had never called her Tomi before, she wondered where he got that from since the only two people who called her that was her old friend Yukari and her brother Mamoru. "Your in a strange mood today." Hitomi said as she felt his arm against her bare back.

"What do you mean by strange?" Van asked.

"Nothing." Hitomi said sighing.

"I think we need to talk." Van said which made Hitomi look at him questionably. "About us, everything, we need to talk."

"Yes, we do." Hitomi agreed wondering why Van was acting so different towards her. "Wait, five days past since the day I passed out, six, isn't today the day of the Fanelian Ball Van?" Hitomi asks. "Or the day when our guests are suppose to arrive?"

"The day when the guests arrive." Van answered. "But most of them won't get here until the afternoon."

"Yes but we should…"

"Let it wait, we really do need to talk." Van said interrupting. She hated to admit it but he was right. That's what they did, they each dressed and then they talked.

It was near noon by the time they had finished having had talked about everything from their marriage to god knows what else. This was the beginning of their renewed relationship. Hitomi couldn't help but be a little happy as she walked next to Van which was a shock to most of the people who saw them who worked regularly in the castle because she usually stood as far away from Van as she possibly could. She couldn't help but to feel giddy being near Van since she now knew that he felt something towards her that was more then friendship. Or at least so that's what he said. They weren't exactly complete lovers since Van was still trying to figure himself out but they weren't friends either. This is what is must have felt like to have just a boyfriend. Still, either way, it was good to have Van start to open up to her, she couldn't help but to blush as she walked down the hall to where they would greet the guests.

………

Who was invited, she didn't even know since Van usually left that mess up to the council. Hitomi tried not to glance over at Van every couple of minutes as they sat in the throne room, sitting at one end of the room and that's when she felt it. That same nagging pain in her chest, she did her best not to move her hand up to try to clutch it.

"Is something wrong Hitomi?" Van whispered to where only Hitomi could hear and Hitomi just gave him a fake smile.

"No, I'm fine." Hitomi lied once again feeling guilty for lieing to the one who had begun to open up to her. Her eyes widened at the sound of the name that was called as the announcer presented the person coming. _'No, who invited them?'_ She thought as her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the woman and the man who where walking toward her. Her parents, why did they have to come? It was unusual for the King and Queen of Tier to leave their country even for things like balls especially _her_ parents when they hated leaving Tier. As they walked forward Hitomi tried to relax and push her childhood memories out of her mind, there where other guests about and she didn't need to make a scene. She had to keep reminding herself not to make a fool of Van. Her mother and father approached and bowed Hitomi had to restrain herself from doing anything to either one of them. "Mother, father, I didn't know that you two where invited." Hitomi said not being able to stop herself. "I'm glad to see you again." She quickly added lieing and put a huge forceful smile on her face.

"Yes, I thought that you would be told." Queen Totomi said smiling. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

"Yes, I am mother." Hitomi said as she reluctantly got up and went to hug the woman since everyone already knew that Hitomi was the daughter of the king and queen of Tier it didn't really matter. She tried not to shudder as she felt her mother hug her back and thankfully as quick as it was, it was over.

"We can talk and catch up later if you're not busy." Totomi said.

"Yes, I would like that." Hitomi said trying not to choke as she spoke the words, quicker then she came she went back and took her seat next to Van. She was trying her best to keep a face on that wouldn't let anyone suspect anything.

Van glanced at the couple who where Hitomi's parents. They had only a faint resemblance and Van did wonder who the idiot was who invited them. He expected Prince Mamoru to show up, not Hitomi's parents. "Welcome to Fanelia King and Queen Tier." Van said as he tried to restrain himself. These people where his parent in laws which meant he had to direct them properly other wise who knows how people would react. He restrained himself from glancing over at Hitomi.

"I thank you for the invitation King Fanelia." The king of Tier replied and nothing else was said, they took their places at the side. Hitomi barely heard when Millerna's and Dryden's names where called since her thoughts where scrambled. No wonder why she kept feeling that painful feeling in her chest; could it have been a warning that her parents where coming? Once everyone was called in, Van made a speech and the dance started. Van and Hitomi sat there watching everyone else dance. Hitomi wanted to get out of public view but couldn't since she was a hostess here in Fanelia, not a guest. Her parents had did this as revenge for her running away to Fanelia with out telling them that is why they came, she knew it. She spotted Mamoru coming in a while later and wondered why he was late. She saw that he had an annoyed look on his face and wondered why. She wore the emerald green bracelet that he had given her even though it didn't match her red and gold dress. She also wore the two rings that Van had given her, her wedding ring and the Fanelian crest ring; neither ring was something that Van had picked out unlike the bracelet; she wished it was though.

She was approached by her father who bowed to Van. "Would you mind if I danced with my daughter?" King Tier asked. Hitomi looked at Van and hoped that her face did not show what she was feeling. Van knew how she felt about her parents but she also knew that they would be considered rude if they said no. Gods, why where they torturing her like this?

Van nodded and King Tier held his hand for Hitomi and giving one last pleading look to Van after she stood up and made sure that he could only see it, walked out with her father to the dance floor.

'_Forgive me Hitomi, for there was no other choice.'_ Van thought to himself as the music played.

As Hitomi and her father danced she tried to act normal, then again she didn't know what normal was. She wished that the song would end soon and wished that Van would have said something like _"Sorry, but I promised Hitomi the first dance."_ He could have said something but no! He had to let her father dance with her.

"It was unfair of you to run away from home like that." King Tier whispered as they danced. "We where worried."

Hitomi tried to keep her temper down. "I'm sorry but once I found out who it was that I was going to marry, I wanted to meet him as soon as I could." Hitomi half lied.

"You could have left a note or something, it was worse when Mamoru was on it as well." King Tier said.

"I hope that you didn't punish him because I told him that I had your permission to do leave." Hitomi said lieing. Mamoru free willing helped Hitomi escape Tier. She had cut her hair and Mamoru dressed her up in males clothing. She then posed as one of his crew members who was actually away sick.

"He has one more chance or we're going to take away his crown." King Tier whispered back. "He told us the same story but I know you Hitomi. I am not blind; I know that he helped you escape."

"If you take his crown our country goes to Fried father." Hitomi said. "Mamoru is your only son."

"Not any more." King Tier said smiling coldly. "Your mother is pregnant."

"Just because she is pregnant does not mean that it will be a male!" Hitomi hissed and stopped dancing. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm not feeling very well father, something I drank doesn't agree with me, you remember how I am when I drink wine." Hitomi said and then excused herself from the dance with her father, it was perfect timing, before her father had time to say something else the dance was over. So that was why her parents had come; to tell her that Totomi was pregnant. They could have saved the trip and wrote a damn letter. She hoped that her mood was going to be on the good side for the rest of the night. When she found out who invited her parents, she would have to personally thank them.

Hitomi was glad when the dance was finally over. She couldn't stand being so close to her father any more, her father wasn't always a bad person but he changed over the years and she never understood why. Her favorite part of the whole evening was that she got to dance with Van. She was glad that her father decided not to speak to her for the rest of the evening and hoped that they would leave sometime tomorrow. She knew that her mother would come later to talk to her or want to talk to her, just to probably brag about the damn new sibling they had. She never usually swore but this was an exception to the case. What had started off as a happy day turned rather foul.

Their bedroom was quiet and the bed felt nice. She was thankful that most of the guests had finally gone to bed. A knock was heard on the door and hesitantly Hitomi sat up and forced herself to do so. "Yes?" Hitomi asked and the door opened and Hitomi sighed in relief. "Mamoru oni-chan, it's only you, thank the gods." She said as she saw her brother and laid back down on the bed.

"You look like crap little sister." Mamoru said half jokingly. Even though she looked lovely in the dress that she wore, her facial expression was something completely different. It showed that she was tired, and that their parents popped up unexpectively had taken a toll on her.

"Why didn't you warn me?" Hitomi asked as she sat up again.

"I didn't know until today that they where coming." Mamoru answered. "Sorry other wise I would have and then you could have had time to make some sort of excuse like you where sick or something."

"Yes I probably could have." Hitomi agreed and sighed. "So mother is really…"

"Unfortunately yes she is." Mamoru answered after he interrupted. "Anyways, how are you?" Mamoru asked not having had seen his sister since her wedding, he wanted to know how things where now between her and Van and he wanted to know about everything that has been going on here in Fanelia.


	14. Trouble

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Trouble**_

Hitomi was beginning to wonder where Van was after her brother left and didn't want to stay in her room by herself so she decided to go look for him. It wasn't like him to be this late, but maybe that was because of the Fanelian ball and he was still attending to the guests? She sighed.

She loved Van and Van loved her, or at least was beginning to anyway. They had made love last night and then this happened; life was a living hell. She walked down the castle halls making sure that she didn't run in to any one from Tier. She then spotted the familiar figure of her husband, a blush came on her cheeks and she was about to call out his name but stopped once her green eyes spotted a woman standing a little too close to him. At first she thought that even after they had finally gotten close he was about to cheat on her. Anger started to build up but then it stopped when she heard the said.

"Your highness, it's my birthday, don't you want to give me a present?" The woman with red hair asked and Van stepped back a bit and was now against the wall.

"My lady, this is hardly…."

"I don't care…" The woman interrupted and wrapped her arms around Van's neck. "You see, I always get what I want." The red head said and leaned in.

"Your highness, I was just looking for you." Hitomi said loudly before the red head woman had time to press her lips against Van's. "Lord Balgus is looking for you." Hitomi lied as she tried to keep the jealousy down to being unnoticeable.

"Queen Hitomi…" Van said being in a very awkward position. "Yes, I was just heading over there now." Van said catching on. "Before I was stopped by this lady here." Van said catching on.

"Lady Yukari, from the Zaibach empire." Yukari said and Hitomi just gapped at her.

"Yukari?" Hitomi asked not being able to believe it. "Yukari-Chan is that you?" Hitomi asked as memories from her childhood came pouring in to her mind.

_Flashback_

"_Hitomi Hime, I shouldn't be in the palace halls, you know that, your parents get angry when commoners come in to the palace with out any reason." Yukari protested as a much younger Hitomi with the same short hair and was wearing a fancy dress._

"_You're my guest." Hitomi said. "No and's, if's or buts Yukari-san." Hitomi said. "Can I just call you Yukari instead? Chan sounds too formal." Hitomi asked and Yukari opened her mouth to say something, but she was quicker. "We're the same age right, let's drop all of the formalities. _

"_Hitomi Hime…" Yukari said_.

"_Keigo!" Hitomi said and looked in to the other girl's brown eyes. "Stop using Keigo and just call me Hitomi when we're alone its fine and around Oni-Chan to." She added remembering how her oni-chan knew that she and Yukari where friends. _

"_But Hime!" Yukari protested._

"_Hi-to-mi!" Hitomi said. "Hitomi, not Hitomi Hime, not Hime, just Hitomi."_

"_I'll get scolded if I don't call you Hitomi."_

"_Like I said, just call me Hitomi when no one else is around. When it's just you, me, and even oni-chan you can call me Hitomi and I won't get mad. That's a promise. I get tired of everyone calling me Hime all the time." _

"_Hai, Hi…" Yukari started to say almost saying hime but stopped her self. "Hitomi."_

"_That's better." Hitomi said. "Come on, let's go play." The younger version of Hitomi said as she dragged Yukari by the hand._

"_Hai, Hitomi." Yukari said not having much of a choice._

………

"_Amano-Sempai is cute isn't he Yukari?" Hitomi asked as they where a little older, this still being a few years before Hitomi was locked away._

"_Hitomi!" Yukari gasped. "You're not allowed to look at a commoner that way!" The fact was, was that Yukari was jealous of Hitomi_.

"_Who says I can't?" Hitomi asked. "It's more of look but don't touch." Hitomi laughed. "Amano-Sempai!" Hitomi finally called to the slightly older man and waved to him._

"_Hitomi Hime," Amano said bowing. "Yukari-san." Amano was still tall, even for a kid._

"_What are you doing Amano-Sempai?" Hitomi asked curiously._

"_Getting ready for the elementary school run." Amano said._

"_Lucky, I wish I could attend public schools." Hitomi sighed since she had specially hired and strict teachers that taught her, none of them where nice to her when she tried to be because her parents had paid them not to._

"_Yukari-San is the manager of our track team." Amano said praising the other girl. "Though most of the guys won't go near her because she's a girl."_

"_That's stupid!" Hitomi said knowing about the whole girls and guys not liking to be near one another at this age; she was raised to where she had to be around both so it didn't matter if they where male or female. "I wish that there where other people in my class, I wouldn't even care if they where boys." Hitomi said._

"_Hime, you have your lessons all by yourself don't you?" Amano asked._

"_Hai, sometimes oni-chan will come in just to interrupt so he can escape his lessons but those are rare these days…" It was then when Hitomi got the idea. "Yukari, want to race? I might not look like I can but I can; I race against oni-chan sometimes but I think he lets me win."_

"_I'm the manager, not a runner." Yukari protested._

"_I'll go, I won't hold back because you're the hime or a girl either." Amano replied._

"_Thank you." Hitomi said smiling she took off her shoes and put them to the side since it was difficult to run in heals._

"_READY?" Yukari shouted. "SET!" The red head girl said after a moment's pause. "GO!" Her eyes opened as she watched the two run and a small group formed. Hitomi had snuck out of the palace and met Yukari in the park, she just hoped that neither one of them would get in trouble. "Go Hitomi Hime! Go Amano-Sempai!" Amano was older then herself and Hitomi by two years._

"_Who do you think will win?" A boy asked._

"_I hope Amano-Sempai, but Hitomi Hime is doing pretty well to."_

"_Who knew that the hime could run?" A girl asked. "I thought that hime's weren't suppose to run, I thought that they where just suppose to be there and look pretty." She said._

_It was at that moment when Hitomi's life changed forever, her eyes widened as her first vision came and she ended up not remembering what happened after that until she woke up. When she woke up she found herself in Mamoru's arms. "Oni-San?" Hitomi asked as he carried her back home to the palace._

"_You passed out Hitomi." Mamoru said. "Luckily I was the one who noticed that you where gone and found you knowing where you would go, not to mention I ran in to your friend Yukari-Chan."_

"_You won't tell will you oni-chan?" Hitomi asked._

"_No, I use to do the same thing when I was your age." Mamoru said. "I use to get in big trouble for it though."_

"_I want to play with everyone again." Hitomi said. "It was fun, even though I passed out."_

"_Everyone you mean Yukari-Chan and Amano-Chan right?" Mamoru asked._

"_Yes, but everyone else was fun to." Hitomi said blushing at Mamoru mentioning Amano-Sempai._

"_Next time you want to play, and I'm not busy let me know. I can be a very good person to ask when you need some cover." Mamoru said._

"_Arigato oni-chan!" Hitomi said happily. She didn't tell him what she had seen in her dream, she felt bad that she didn't tell him about her nightmare because he had helped her out. No one needed to know that she had dreamt that sort of thing. _

_End of Flashback_

"Yes, it's me Hitomi." Yukari said. "I heard that you had married King Fanelia but didn't believe it to be true, I always thought that you would marry Amano-San." Yukari said.

"Remember? I said I could look but not touch." Hitomi said almost having had forgotten that Yukari was about to kiss Van. What was Yukari doing so close to Van? "When did you move to Zaibach?" She asked noticing the clothing.

"A few years after we turned sixteen." Yukari answered. "It was an arranged marriage and I am now married to a man named Dilandau."

Dilandau, why did that name make her head hurt? "I see." Was all that Hitomi said. "Would you like to explain to me why you're standing so close to my husband for?" Hitomi asked as her anger rise up a little.

"Yes well you see that is a rather long and difficult story." Yukari said. "Isn't it customary when it's a friend's birthday to give them a present?" Yukari asked.

"He did not know you where my childhood friend Lady Yukari now is it?" Hitomi asked trying to be polite. "I want to ask you to remove your hands from…"

"Your husband?" Yukari asked now being the one to interrupt. "You always where selfish Hitomi, or is it Queen Hitomi now?" She asked somewhat coldly. "First Amano-Sempai now you get to keep this one here."

Hitomi could feel the change of emotions in the air. "I'll not ask you again nicely Lady Yukari."

"We'll play again later, your highness." With that Yukari kissed Van which made Hitomi's eyes widen, and want to punch the woman. This was not the same gentle Yukari she had once known. She watched as Yukari pulled away from Van and walked away.

Hitomi just stood there dumb stricken and shocked. This was too much, her parents coming, Mamoru on the verge of loosing the throne and now Yukari was here with Van. What on Gaea was going on? Hitomi couldn't handle this much longer, part of her wanted to scream.

"Thanks, Hitomi." Van said once they knew that Yukari was gone and that they where alone. "Hitomi?" Van asked and stepped closer to his wife. "Hitomi…" He whispered again.


	15. The Fanelian Ball

**Chapter Fifteen – Mother-In-Law's**

Hitomi had been carried back to their room since she had nearly fainted. She was immediately lied down on the bed since Van had assumed that his wife had gone in to shock for some odd reason not knowing the whole story. He decided to go get the healer but was quiet about it since he didn't want the whole castle knowing about it since there where guests here. As he made his way down the hallway he ran in to a familiar and unwanted guest.

"Your highness, I'm glad that we finally got to meet one on one." Queen Totomi said as she smiled at her son in law. "I got to meet your father but I never had the chance to meet you before."

"We met earlier." Van corrected the obviously pregnant queen. "No offence Queen Kanzaki, but should you be walking around in your condition? Or even traveling?"

"Kanzaki? I'm Queen Tier, Kanzaki, well it's difficult to explain. Kanzaki is what the royal house of Tier was called before we became Tier. Somewhere down the line, an ancestor married a man with the last name Tier and ever since then the countries name has been changed and our names as well. Hitomi and her brother Mamoru had decided to take on Kanzaki in honor of their deceased grandmother, my mother also decided on taking Kanzaki, they where trying to how should I say it? They where trying to revive our fallen ancestry." Queen Tier explained.

"I see." Van said not really caring. How could she act in this manner even though she had literally locked up her own daughter. She was acting so calm and cool and to her own daughter, she was so cruel, then again, did he really have the right to say anything? He had been cruel to Hitomi as well when he first met her.

"By the way, have you seen anything abnormal about my daughter during her time here?" Queen Tier asked curiously.

"What do you mean by abnormal?" Van asked already knowing what the queen meant, Hitomi's visions, this queen seemed interested in knowing if he knew that Hitomi had visions or not yet. Then again, he didn't completely believe them or didn't want to believe them.

"Oh, its nothing, never mind, don't worry about it." Queen Tier said and there was something about her that he automatically didn't like.

"I hate to cut our conversation off short but I have something I need to do." Van said trying not to sound rude.

"Yes, of course sorry, that was terribly rude of me." Queen Tier said. "I didn't even ask you if you had time to chat; how terribly rude."

"That's fine, excuse me." Van said and made his exit quickly.

………….

"It's stress." The healer said after having had checked Hitomi. "It happens to a lot of the royal families from what I've heard from other healers especially when it comes to times around things like balls and other formal situations. She's not use to this type of thing is she? Having to be the one who hosts them?"

"I guess not since Queen Tier would naturally be the one who would host them in Tier." Van said. "As well as King Tier, why would a mere princess host them?" He asked.

"Yes, that's right, sorry I didn't think about that." The healer said. "Hopefully she'll last the next few days."

"Sorry for bothering you so late." Van apologized which the healer had never heard come from the young king before.

"No, it's not a problem your highness. It's my job after all." The healer said and bowed and walked out of the room. Maybe she was the one who could break the barrier that the king held over his heart. The healer wondered silently to herself as she left the room.

………

Van entered their room and looked down at Hitomi who had finally fallen asleep having had been given something by the healer. Out of habit, he ran his hand through his black hair and then removed it once he noticed it was there. Why had he touched her like that? He didn't like her right? Yes, they had at least gotten on the level to which any normal person would call a boyfriend or girlfriend, but not husband and wife. He wasn't sure if he was able to handle that yet. Yes, they had slept together finally but was it mostly out of love or to make Hitomi think that he loved her? He didn't know. He wasn't sure to how he felt about her himself. Yes, he thought that she was beautiful and yes, he liked being around her as much as possible lately but was it love? He didn't know and was having mixed feelings about his wife. Loosing sleep about the subject wouldn't do him any good; he then kissed Hitomi on the forehead good night and quietly moved to his side of the bed and fell asleep.

…………..

When Hitomi woke up, she wondered when she fell asleep and then remembered that Van had carried her back to their room. A blush appeared on her face since just thinking about that was embarrassing. She sat up and walked over to the doors that lead out to the balcony and threw them open. It was a nice day but then again, another thought struck her mind. Her parents where still here weren't they? She sighed at the thought. Perhaps it wasn't going to be a nice day after all.

………………

"Queen Hitomi," A voice said from the other side of the door after it was knocked.

"Yes?" Hitomi asked after having had changed her dress and bathed and did all of her other morning normal routines.

"I have a request from the Queen of Tier that she has an audience with you alone before she leaves later today." The male's voice said.

Hitomi sighed and opened the door at that moment and then hoped that the man didn't hear her sigh. "Tell her I'll have the noon meal with her in my private chambers." Hitomi said wanting nothing but to scream at the thought of being in a room alone with her mother. However refusing her would cause a big commotion knowing her mother who would raise all sorts of hell by saying that Hitomi was a terrible daughter and didn't even want to spend time with her precious mother. Hitomi tried not to gag at the moment since she didn't want this messenger to see anything.

"Good day then Queen Hitomi." The man said and bowed before he left.

Van came back to the room at that moment and caught Hitomi before she fell to the ground. "What's wrong?" Van asked as he sat Hitomi down on a chair and quickly shut the door behind them.

"Sorry," Hitomi apologized being rather embarrassed that Van happened to have walked in at the moment she just felt like falling to the floor. "I'm fine, I just tripped." She lied.

"I'm sorry." Van apologized.

"For what?" Hitomi asked.

"Last night, for this whole ball." Van said trying not to keep himself from not saying the words. It was hard for him to apologize since well he didn't know why exactly.

"Last night, with Yukari?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes." Van answered. "I should have been more forceful to push her away but since she's a woman I…"

"It's alright Van." Hitomi said forcing a fake smile. "That is the least of my worries. I know that you wouldn't betray your vow." Hitomi said not really being to sure of that. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go arrange something with the chef for the noon meal." Hitomi said which made Van confused. "I would also warn you to stay away from our rooms later this afternoon." Hitomi said. "You'll regret coming back at that time if you don't." With that Van watched Hitomi leave and was rather confused.

'_What does she mean by that?'_ Van thought to himself curiously.

………………..

"Queen Hitomi!" She heard Millerna call her and she stopped and turned to find the youngest Princess of Asturia waving to her.

"Millerna Hime." Hitomi said and Millerna came walking over.

"I was glad that I managed to catch you; I was lucky enough to be able to come." The young princess said and Hitomi forced a smile.

"I'm sorry Millerna Hime." Hitomi apologized and the blonde princess looked at her with a confused look.

"For what?" Millerna finally asked.

"I can't stay and talk like I would like to, I have another appointment with my mother for lunch today." Hitomi explained. "I haven't seen her for such a long time, she would be highly disappointed that she did not get time to spend with me on this visit." Hitomi explained and felt bad that the whole explanation was a lie. "Perhaps we can talk later?" Hitomi asked.

"Sure, later then; it would be nice to be able to still talk to your mother." Millerna said with a sigh. "Mine has been dead for some years now."

How Hitomi wished she could tell Millerna about her mother but advised against the thought. "I'm sorry for your lost." Hitomi apologized. "I would really like to stay I promise, but my mother is not a patient woman."

Millerna laughed at the last remark. "I assume that since she's a queen she's probably not use to having to wait for people."

"No she's not." Hitomi wished she hadn't just said that remark. "Especially when it comes to seeing me." Hitomi lied.

"See you around then." Millerna said. "Have fun."

"Alright." Hitomi said just wishing she could scream at the thought. "Later then." With that she departed with the princess and it was then when she caught a familiar but unfamiliar energy watching them. She once Millerna had turned her back Hitomi's eyes trailed to the dark corner that lead down the other hall. Her eyes narrowed at it for a moment longer and then finally started to walk along the halls. She didn't like the feeling that still lingered with in her. The sharp pain returned to her heart but she tried to ignore it and continued to walk back to her room.

……………

"Hitomi, how I've missed you, your father wanted to come but decided that it was for the best that the two of us women got to be alone for once in a while." Queen Totomi Tier said and embraced her daughter. "I was very worried about you when you ran away like that."

"Stop faking it already mother." Hitomi couldn't believe that those words had actually just came out of her mouth. "You where just worried about your precious tool of war."

An awkward silence filled the room after Hitomi had said that and it was only interrupted by the door being knocked on. "Yes?" Hitomi asked.

"The food is ready your highness." The voice from the other side of the door said.

"Bring it in." Hitomi said annoyedly and the door opened and the tray of food which Hitomi had asked the chef to prepare was brought in. "Thank you." She said to the kitchen boy who bowed.

"Any time your highness." The boy said.

"You can go now." Hitomi said and the boy bowed slightly once more and then left. Once she was sure that they where alone she could feel her mother's angry look on her back.

"How dare you speak to me like that Hitomi?" Totomi asked. "I raised you, gave birth to you, and you dare say that you are simply a tool of war to me?"

"That's how father seems to look at it yes." Hitomi answered. "If I was not a tool of war, then why is it that Mamoru is being punished for me wanting to come to Fanelia; why is it that I was thrown in to the dungeons when I was how old? Eight, nine? I can't even remember how old I was mother. You might have made those cells look like rooms, but a dungeon is still a dungeon no matter how much you tell yourself that it isn't. You tried to get out of the pack from my marriage to King Van because you didn't want to let others know how you and father have been winning these wars all of these years. If I am not a damn tool of war then why is it that you denied me the possibility of having friendship through out my childhood years? Yes it's uncommon for a hime wanting to play with mere commoners, but I do not look at the people like that and…" Hitomi's mother was laughing at this moment.

"So I see, this is how you truly think of me is it?" Totomi asked Hitomi and Hitomi didn't remove her eyes from her mother. "You come here and become Queen of Fanelia and are spoiled rotten because this king doesn't want anything to do with you because you are a damn cursed child from the underworld just like my mother was. No one wants you and the only way you can marry is through an arranged marriage. Do you know what people use to say about you when you would go in to a… vision during balls or other public appearances? They use to swear that you where a cursed demon from the underworld. Do you know how much they would love to know it if they where right?. Fanelia has changed you too much daughter. You went from a spoiled hime to a spoiled queen. Your title and name has changed but not much else has. Everything else is still the same. You're still cursed; even to this day you are cursed. If you have children with this pathetic king they will be cursed."

Hitomi was beginning to loose it at this point, and Hitomi could tell that her mother knew it. This is how her mother had treated her as a child which sent her in to tears every night as she cried herself to sleep in the cold dungeons as she was denied of everything a normal child should had have.

"Has it occurred to you Queen Totomi," Another voice said. "That we don't believe that she's cursed?" Van suddenly said and Hitomi couldn't help but to stare at him and wondered when he got here. "We have dealt with our own share of demons Queen Totomi Hitomi is as normal as everyone else here."

Van, Van had come to her rescue. Why? Hitomi wondered as he came to her side. Where had he come from? Had he been on the roof all this time listening to every word they had said?

"I do not appreciate it when you talk to my wife in that manner. I already know her secret." Van said. _'But she does not yet know mine.'_ Van thought with a guilty heart. _'My_ _secret would surely turn her from me.'_

"You, how dare you talk to me like…"

"You are in Fanelia, Queen Tier, you are to respect Queen Hitomi as we would you in your own country. I was taught that you treat the king and queen of the country that you are in with the same respect that you would expect to be treated with in your own country. I believe that you have been taught the same thing."

"I will not be insulted like this!" Queen Kitomi spat. "I will not…"

"Queen Totomi, you may leave at this moment. You are dismissed from my chambers."

"Your father should have killed you the moment that we found out Hitomi." Kitomi hissed. "Had he not loved you as your…"

"Either you will leave my chambers Queen Tier, or I will have the samurai come and escort you out personally Queen Tier."

"How…"

"I dare because I am King of Fanelia!" Van said his voice raised in that tone that demanded that his orders be followed. "I am KING of Fanelia Queen Tier, do you dare respect another king in his own country?" Van stressed loud enough for those in the hall to hear.

"In the end, you would have wished that you had not insulted me like that!" Queen Kitomi said angrily. "You will regret this!…"

"Regret what Queen Tier? Perhaps you are in such a foul mood because of your condition? I have heard that women sometimes change emotions quickly when they are in your condition Queen Totomi."

The Tierian queen looked at him as if he had just insulted her. "You have not seen the last of me, Van Fanel!" She said and then turned her heals to leave and slammed the door behind her.

"You didn't have to do that Van…" Hitomi said shakily.

"Why not?" Van asked. "You are my wife." Van added. "And as my wife and queen, I will let no one dishonor you like that even though this marriage was an arranged one, as long as you are my wife, I will not tolerate people talking like that to you especially in my own country."

"You just shouldn't have, mother doesn't take insults lightly. She holds them against you." Hitomi said her knees felt like she was on the verge to collapse.

"It doesn't matter, she'll get over it." Van reassured Hitomi.

"No, she won't." Hitomi said and Van held her at that moment and she was unsure of why he did.

"Hush, she's gone, there's no need to worry about her now."


	16. Day Two

**Chapter Sixteen – Day Two**

This was all too much. Hitomi didn't know how much she could take of this and there where still another day left. Van had poured her a coup of tea from the tray that the kitchen boy had brought in and handed it to Hitomi whose shaking hands took it and managed to take a sip from it.

"Now I can see why you wanted to escape from there." Van said finally after a few moments of silence. "I don't know who let them in but I intend to find out." Van said as he watched Hitomi's shaking hands and he finally took the cup away from her before she dropped it and took his hands in her. "It's alright, she's no longer here." Van said trying to get Hitomi to calm down.

"She's right though." Hitomi said after a few moments of just staring out in front of her. "I'm cursed, I…"

"There are worse things that people considered cursed Hitomi." Van said as he once again tried to reassure her. "There are worse things."

"My mother always acted that way toward my grandmother, had my grandmother not been queen at the time. If my mother had the chance she would have most likely locked her away as well…" Hitomi said, her voice shaking.

"She can't do anything to you now, you are in Fanelia." Van said.

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Hitomi asked suddenly which made Van look at her like he had just been slapped across the face. "Why? You hated me just like she does expect that you never acted that bad. Ever since a few days ago you've suddenly started to be nice to me, why?"

"We're friends, as well as husband and wife, remember?" Van asked. _'That's just it, we're just friends.'_ Van thought though there was questioning in that thought.

"Friends, is that all?" Hitomi asked looking down. "I thought that after we, never mind. I guess like it's natural for husbands and wives to do that kind of thing so we only did that out of…" Hitomi's voice trailed off not being able to say any more, not wanting to say any more.

Van couldn't answer that, he didn't want to answer that. "I'm sorry; I didn't want you to…"

"No, that's fine. You do need a heir after all." Hitomi said and stood up and walked over to the balcony. "Even if we are _just_ friends." Van confused her, sometimes he acted like a lover, others he would act like a protective brother, and at other times he would act like a friend. Which one was he? Hitomi didn't know. "We should probably head out since…"

"Just because it's lunch time doesn't mean that we always have to go and eat with everyone else." Van said feeling a slight pain of guilt for having had hurt Hitomi that way. He was confused about how he felt about her himself! Damn, why did he have these mixed emotions about her. "We can eat on the balcony." Van suggested.

"If that's what his highness wants then that's fine." Hitomi said feeling depression come over her again.

'Why is she speaking to me all formally again?' Van asked himself since he found it annoying. 'Why? She hadn't called me your highness since…' Now that he thought about it she had called him his highness the last time she was mad at him. What did he do now? (Like I said mixed emotions, it's a love hate relationship you could say.)

………………….

"How are you and Van doing?" Mamoru asked as Hitomi walked the gardens with her brother later not having had been there in some time.

"What do you mean by that?" Hitomi asked. "Didn't you already ask me that?" She asked.

"I don't really remember." Mamoru laughed nervously which made Hitomi sweatdrop.

"You really are a baka." Hitomi said with a sigh and shook her head.

"You have to treat your oni-chan with respect." Mamoru teased. "Where is the respect that I deserve?"

"For what? You being older then me?" Hitomi asked sarcastically, well almost.

"Yes, exactly, so where is it?" Mamoru asked.

"In your dreams oni-chan." Hitomi answered.

"Someone's in a bad mood."

"Bite me."

"No that's your husband's job." Mamoru said and then was punched at that moment. "You've become weaker these past few months, not have anyone to spar with?" He asked half jokingly half serious.

"No not really and not to mention there's not time to." Hitomi answered thankful that her brother had switched off the subject of her and Van. However, she could do with out the insult.

"Or you're just too lazy to?" Mamoru asked and was punched again. "Maybe it's from all of these girly dresses that you've been wearing?"

"The Fanelian women don't usually wear pants since their considered men's clothing here." Hitomi hissed.

"Excuses, excuses, you know that you've always liked to dress up."

"Yeah right!" Hitomi spat. "If that's true then I guess like you've always been an innocent angel?" Hitomi asked sarcastically.

"That's true, I am an innocent angel!" Mamoru said taking the insult as praise.

Hitomi sighed, why did she have an idiot for an older brother?

……………………

The two moons hung close together as they where clearly visible in the sky and the yellow moon was full as well. Their glow seemed to grab hold of her attention as she looked up at them. The sound of feet approaching her could be heard which made her quickly turn her head and look down at the person who was coming towards her, why was it that she couldn't sense who they where? Had her powers gone completely out of wack?

"I hope that I'm not interrupting you, Hitomi." Millerna said as she approached the younger queen. "I was just out for an evening walk with Dryden and we saw you over here and I wanted to say hi." Millerna explained. "I don't think you really got to talk to Dryden much have you?" She asked.

"No, not really, and you weren't bothering me, I was just thinking." Hitomi replied. "Nice evening isn't it Millerna and Prince Dryden?" Hitomi asked.

Dryden sighed. "There she goes with the formalities, it's just like you said Millerna." He said and raised his hand through his curly brown hair. "Just forget that Prince business, it gets rather old." He said. "I'm just a merchant who became a prince that's all so it's just Dryden." Dryden explained. "And no, I believe that we have only really seen one another twice, this is the third time I believe. You should smile more, little lady, a frown doesn't suite you." He said. "Beautiful women should smile more." He said. "I don't like to see women frown."

…………………..

"So you'll make preparations then." The queen of Tier asked a cloaked figure who stood before her. "We will be willing to break our alliance with Fanelia and become alliances with you." The queen said which made the cloak figure grin.

"It will be our pleasure your highness, I'm sure that his highness will be very pleased to hear that you have finally decided to join us your highness." The other voice said as they sat in a room of an air ship as it left Fanelia. "We hope that you don't mind if we attack it to get what we want to come out." The voice asked.

"Why would I mind?" The queen ask with her husband next to her. "Why would I care about that run down little country?"

"Because, your daughter is the queen." The man replied.

"What daughter? The only child I have now is in me. Those two children of mine are bastards. They are no longer my children, both of them have disgraced me and there for they are now disowned." The queen said.

"Very well then." The voice replied and bowed. "We will attack Fanelia as soon as the ball is finished." The voice promised.

"Why after?" Queen Totomi asked.

"Because for one thing it will take some time for my country to prepare your highness and my counties highness needs to know that you have finally accepted his offer."

"Alright, understood, Tier will be prepared to aid you in anyway we can. If they are not going to willingly do it, I will order them to." Queen Totomi said fiercely.

"As you wish your highness, I will go now to an airship which is waiting for me outside this one and will go tell his highness at once." The man said as he took the scroll that the queen just signed as their proof.

"Yes, you are dismissed." Queen Totomi said and waved the man away who bowed and left the room and then the ship. "Husband, I feel our child kicking."

…………….

Footsteps could be heard which made Hitomi turn around to once again find Van there. "Van." Hitomi said startled and then remembered that she wasn't talking to him and turned around letting her back show to him and remembered her brother's words. _'Never leave your back open to the enemy.'_ He had told her when he had began to practice to teach her how to fight in that dungeon of a room. Then again, Van wasn't her enemy.

Van didn't know why he came after he as he did every other time he came after her. "The moons are bright tonight." Van finally said after breaking the few moments of awkward silence. "Though it seems as if the Mystic Moon is closer to us then before." No words where spoken from his wife. "Here put this on, I don't want you to catch a cold again." Van said as he dared to step forward to Hitomi with a shawl he had brought out with him from their room and as soon as he got in to touching distance Hitomi took a few steps forward and was out of reach. "Damn it Hitomi, what did I do this time?" Van asked annoyedly. "I'm trying to be your friend here which is almost impossible with that damn attitude of yours."

"Don't even try that Van Fanel!" Hitomi said as she turned around. "You perfectly know why I'm angry!" Hitomi said and tried to keep the tears from coming that wanted to fall. "Go back to your precious castle and your precious friend Merle!" Hitomi said and it was at that moment Van was the one who pulled her in and kissed her.

Hitomi was startled for a few moments but finally made a swift move and grabbed hold of Van's fist and threw him over her shoulder having had been taught that by Mamoru. She then ran.

Van looked up at the sky and it had taken him a moment before he realized what had just happened. He got up and went to go look for the swords master Balgus. "Balgus!" Van finally said angrily as he found his teacher, his mentor, and his friend.

"Is something wrong Van-Sama?" Balgus asked noticing how annoyed the young king looked.

"Spar with me." Van ordered quietly and the old sword's master grinned knowing that something must have happened since sometimes it was easy for him to read Van. He didn't like mortal sword combat, but he needed something to get his frustration off on.

"As you wish." Balgus said and with drew his large sword.

………….

Hitomi stopped running for a moment needing to have caught her breath. She had ripped off half of her dress not wanting to go back inside and change and needed something to take her anger out on at the moment. Having had fallen down she laid on the ground she just laid there and looked up at the sky once again. She brought two fingers to her lips remembering the way that the kiss felt and blushed. _'Van…'_ She thought helplessly. Was he still mad at her? She wasn't mad at him, just angry that he didn't share the same feelings that she did.

"How dare you do that to Van-Sama!" An angry voice suddenly asked which made Hitomi sit up straight hoping that the person didn't see her thinking about the kiss.

"Why is it any of your business what I do Merle?" Hitomi asked not being in the mood to deal with the cat girl.

"Because Van-Sama is my friend!" Merle hissed dangerously. "And if you've hurt him I'll…."

"What? Use me as a scratching post?" Hitomi asked not caring what the girl threatened. "Why is it that you always love to come around when I'm not in the mood to mess with you?" Hitomi asked. "Don't you think that it's something that I might not have done but your precious Van?" Hitomi asked now shouting and didn't care if anyone heard even though it was a secluded area. "Why is it always my fault?" Hitomi asked which made the cat girl just look at her strangely. "Tell me that much!"

Merle had almost forgotten that Hitomi was a person as well and had feelings like she did. She was so caught up with her anger still after these past few months that Hitomi and Van had married that she had been nothing but a (nicest way to put it) brat towards Hitomi. She just stared after the queen as the queen ran off in to the night.

………………….


	17. Day Three and Meetings

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Hitomi spent most of the remainder of the next day with Millerna showing her around Fanelia, or at least that's what she wanted to do. She actually ended up spending most of her time shopping with Millerna who wanted to get to a few stores before they left the next day. Hitomi wasn't sure to how she actually felt about the princess but that was once again the last of her worries.

"Queen Hitomi, what do you think of this one?" Millerna asked Hitomi who was brought back from her deep thought.

"Umm… It looks nice." Hitomi said no wanting to let the princess see how she was feeling.

"Really? Do you think Dryden would like it?" Millerna asked.

"I don't know Prince Dryden very well." Hitomi said truthfully being formal only because they where sort of in public.

"That's right." Millerna said forgetting that they've only met Hitomi a few times now. "Sorry, I forgot."

"That's alright." Hitomi said. "But it does look nice."

"Aren't you going to get anything?" Millerna asked.

"No, I wasn't planning on shopping today actually." Hitomi admitted.

"Oh, sorry, it's because I selfishly dragged you away from the other guests and brought you here isn't it?" Millerna asked.

"You asked me to show you Fanelia, and I agreed to it." Hitomi said. Besides, the truth was, was that she needed to get away from the castle and away from Van for a while. She didn't have any friends of her own even though the Fanelian people where so nice to her. Millerna for instance wasn't exactly what you would call a friend or at least what Hitomi would consider a friend. She was more or less an acquaintance.

"I think I'll take this one." Millerna said happily as she looked in the mirror one last time and went back to the changing room to go change in to her normal dress.

"I'll wait for you outside." Hitomi said.

"Alright." Millerna said through the door.

Hitomi felt an arm come around her neck as soon as she stepped outside and she grabbed hold of it and flipped the person over her shoulder not having had expected that. (Yes, Hitomi knows how to sort of fight in this fic! I got tired of Hitomi being completely wimpy and well you would figure that with a brother whose trained to fight he would teach her since their close. Or at least that's how I look at it.) "Oni-Chan!" Hitomi said once she recognized the figure.

"So you haven't gotten completely weak." Mamoru said as he looked up at his younger sister. "That's something I don't have to worry about."

"Do you have to make a scene in public?" Hitomi asked annoyedly.

"Well…" Mamoru said as he sat on the floor and put his finger to his chin as to think about it.

"Don't answer that!" Hitomi said being rather frustrated.

"Technically speaking you are the one who is making the scene, you're the one who is now yelling at me right?" Mamoru asked.

"Queen Hitomi, what on Gaea is…" Millerna asked having had just stepped outside at that moment.

"Millerna Hime, I believe that you've met my oni-chan at my wedding?" Hitomi asked. "Prince Mamoru Kanzaki of Tier."

"Crown Prince to you little sister." Mamoru replied and stood up at that moment.

"Whatever, what are you doing here anyway?"

"The king didn't seem to know where you where and… I was bored." Mamoru admitted.

"How did you find me?"

"Ah, that was easy, I just asked people if they've seen the queen around." Mamoru replied.

"Why didn't you go home with mother?" Hitomi asked.

"Why? You don't want to see me?" Mamoru asked and gave a fake sigh. "Millerna Hime, can't you just feel the love in this family?" Mamoru asked sarcastically.

"I should hit you for that!" Hitomi shouted at her brother and Millerna began to laugh at the sight.

'_Maybe I shouldn't have asked Hitomi after all.' _Millerna thought to herself as she watched the two siblings go back and forth at one another's throats. _'And father thinks that nee-chan and I are bad…'_

……………

Van was still free from his advisers grasp for the moment since they still had guests here until tomorrow. Most of them left this morning, however some of them stayed. However, it was mostly Millerna Hime and Prince Dryden of Asturia and his brother-in-law Mamoru who stayed behind for the last day. It didn't go as he had planned it, but it was almost over with because then he and Hitomi could stop pretending like they where the happy newly married couple like they had been acting these past few days. Hitomi's mother Totomi and Hitomi's friend Yukari seemed to worry him for some odd reason. He couldn't help but to get a strange feeling that he should be aware of those two figures for some odd reason.

Hitomi added to these problems. She was mad at him once again for not being in love with her but had slept with her. They where husband and wife after all and it's not like he did it because he wanted to, or did he? Women, they where nothing but trouble and that was part of the reason why he was still single! He didn't know what to think about their marriage when he was around her or not around her. When he was around her, and when he saw those green eyes of her, they made him feel like that he could do anything, even tell her about his secret. He still wasn't ready for that yet and he hoped that there would be a time when he would be able to. He also kissed her out of his own free will. DAMN WHAT WAS THE MATTER WITH HIM? He pounded his fist against the rail. That must be why she was falling in love with him, he kept subconsciously making moves on her and so she was falling in love with him. He was in idiot! No wonder why she was mad at him, he would try to kiss her and then say that they where just friends. He really did need to stop doing that.


	18. The Warnings

Thanks everyone, this fic has finally made the 100 mark! Yeay! Continue to review. THANKS EVERYONE! I decided to update already as a treat for those who do review.

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**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Millerna left the next morning and everything was quiet once again with in the castle halls. Mamoru had stayed behind to stay away from their parents for a while and it bothered Hitomi to have him around all of the time since he was being the typical pesky older brother. She wasn't in the mood since she didn't get any sleep last night because that same vision that has been haunting her for the past few months, ever since she got to Fanelia returned once more each night now, ever since a day or two ago and each made her wake up sweating and scared shitless. She walked around Fanelia not having anything to do that day and she didn't feel like being cooped up in the castle.

"There is something strange about you your highness." An old woman said suddenly which made Hitomi look at her after being addressed your highness since she wouldn't have probably bothered with it had she not known it was directed at her.

"Excuse me?" Hitomi asked being rather confused. "What do you mean something strange?"

"Come with me please, I mean you no harm, but only what I see." The woman said and hesitantly Hitomi followed.

………

"Sit, sit." The woman said referring to a chair. "What I mean by strangeness is that you have a strong power with in you, your brother to."

"What kind of power?" Hitomi asked curiously and wondered if the woman meant her abilities to predict the future or see in to the past.

"You are a seer yes?" The woman asked.

"How did you know that?" Hitomi asked.

"I can sense it around you." The woman said. "Though there is something else that is different about you." The woman said. "I don't know what but I can sense something else with in you."

"Something else?" Hitomi asked. "If you can't say what it is then why did you…"

"To let you know that you need to listen to your visions warnings. I do not know what they are but I can tell that you have been getting them a lot lately. Something awaits you in the future, a difficult challenge of love and tragedy." The woman said. "Listen to what your visions tell you."

Hitomi stood up at that moment.

"There is one other thing, I sense that your parentage isn't what it seems. Beware of that as well." The old woman said and Hitomi left. How did this woman know so many things about her? Did she have the power of foresight or to read minds? Hitomi wished that she had never gone with that woman in the first place and what made her do it, she never knew.

…………

"There you are, I've been looking for you." Mamoru said as he grabbed hold of his younger sister by a head lock and started to rub her head with his fist.

"Stop that!" Hitomi spat not being in a very good mood. "I'm not a child any more."

"Yes, but you keep acting like one." Mamoru said which caused Hitomi to throw a punch at him but he dodged it easily. "I need to talk to you in private, little sister." Mamoru said.

"Why?"

"Personal stuff, now let's go." Mamoru said and grabbed Hitomi by the arm and started to drag her to his room having had gotten tired of being the one going to Hitomi's room all of the time.

…………

"I'm not stupid little sister." Mamoru said as she just looked at him awkwardly. "You and the king are fighting again."

"Stay out of it!"

"You have no friends, and barely any family left that care about you Hitomi. The people seem to like you, but they don't know how to act around you sometimes because our ways are different then theirs." Mamoru said. "However, I heard from a little thief that there is something going on between you and Van."

"Stay out of it Mamoru, it's none of your…"

"Business, yes, yes of course." Mamoru replied not caring. "You're being stubborn Hitomi and I'm sure that Van doesn't even know why you're mad at him knowing you."

"Because of this damn rearranged marriage! DUH!" Hitomi said even though that wasn't the only reason.

"What difference is this marriage with out love then being back at home with our parents Hitomi?" Mamoru asked. "At least here you're free and not locked up in some little cell that our parents had to make look like a bedroom. Yes you might be watched by the samurai here from time to time on Van's orders, but that's only natural for royal families. At least here you can walk around Fanelia if you wish and talk and meet people and even make friends. The whole world isn't set in black in white as you think."

"Do you have a point in this?" Hitomi asked.

"You're driving me nuts Hitomi with your damn stubborn attitude!" Mamoru snapped. "How do you expect a person to love you if you…" He was slapped at that moment.

"Maybe you should be giving this lecture to Van oni-chan." Hitomi said angrily at the moment. "Perhaps you should talk to him about him taking me to bed and then saying that he loves me and then taking it all back just to get himself a damn heir which I'm not even pregnant." Hitomi laughed. "Maybe I'm not the one being stubborn as you call it." Hitomi said. "Don't even get me started."

"Hitomi…" Mamoru said but he was too late, Hitomi had already turned and was gone. _'I'm going to kill you Van Fanel.'_ Mamoru promised himself.

…………

"Don't attack until I say to start the operation, we're not even going to go yet, we're just observing." The silver haired man said as he spoke to Dilandau.

"Sir, it's too late! Dilandau already left!" A soldier said to the man.

"Dilandau, you are impatient." The man said.

…………..

Fanelia was warm at this time of year since it was the summer season. Hitomi's eyes widened as the vision came again, the same one to where Fanelia was burning, then the angel. When she snapped out of it Merle was looking at her. "What do you want?" Hitomi asked.

"Are you alright, you looked weirder then normal." Merle asked.

"Why would you care?" Hitomi asked.

"Because Van-Sama worries about you when you're not alright." Merle answered and licked her wrist. "He does care about you, he just has a weird way to show it."

"Mind your own business." Hitomi snapped. "What goes on between…"

"Damn you, I care about Van-Sama more then you but he gets married off to some damn spoiled princess who can't even…" Merle started to say but it was at that moment when they heard a loud boom.

"What was that?" Hitomi asked completely forgetting their argument. "No, not that…" Hitomi said as she felt a very strong power pulling at her toward her vision.

"Not what?" Merle asked.

"I have to warn him…" Hitomi said suddenly as she stood up she would have to run to reach him in his normal work room. Thankfully she was wearing a knee length skirt instead of a dress. (Pretty much of her school uniform in the anime, I figured it would fit this part perfectly and hey who says that it can't be an outfit from Tier right? LOL) She was wearing tennis shoes instead of high heals since she had just come in from a run.

"Warn who?" Merle asked shouting after the strange queen.

………..

When Hitomi got to the room where Van worked, he wasn't there and she knew that he was already out investigating what that boom was already. She then pictured the pendant in her mind. _'Picture what you want to find in your mind.'_ She head her grandmother's voice say in her head. "That way!" Hitomi shouted out loud and started off in to a run.

……………

"Van-Sama, go to the room where EscaFlowne sleeps." Balgus ordered Van who just looked up at him.

"EscaFlowne?" Van asked.

"Yes, if necessary take EscaFlowne and flee with Queen Hitomi." Balgus says.

"I WILL NOT TURN MY BACK ON MY ENEMY!" Van shouted.

"Sometimes Van-Sama." Mamoru suddenly said now appearing to investigate what the booming noise was coming from as well. "It is better to flee then to fight."

"Damn you!" Van said angrily.

"Do not get me in to the matter of damning people King of Fanelia for you better survive since we have a personal matter to discuss."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Van asked annoyedly.

"It is a topic not best to talk about in public and while under attack. I will fight with you as a representative from Tier since our two countries are allies and I am the only Tierian here."

"We will talk later then." Van said as he turned. "I do accept your offer."

"I fight only because my sister is here and she means everything to me." Mamoru said and only said it because they where alone.

Van then wondered what Mamoru meant by that. "Balgus, show Mamoru-Sama to a guymelof." Van ordered. "Or have one of the men do it."

"Yes Van-Sama." Balgus said.

………..

Hitomi was almost to the room to where the pendant showed her to go but she stopped as soon as she saw a familiar red head. "Yukari, what are you doing here? This place is under attack and I thought you went back home, back to Zaibach?" Hitomi asked curiously. She was still mad at the red head for kissing her husband, but she still couldn't get the images out of her mind from when they where children.

"Oh, you don't know?" Yukari asked. "I thought I come back to apologize to you for my rudeness that day or night I should say."

Another booming could be heard. _'Van, I have to get to Van…'_ Hitomi thought to herself. "We'll talk later Yukari, get to a safe area for now." Hitomi said trying not to be rude but it was difficult not to because she was in a hurry.

"Yes, later we will talk." Yukari said and watched the young queen run past her and a crooked smile appeared on the red head's lips. "Run Hitomi, while you still can."

………….

Van took the dragenergist that he had got after slaying the dragon which was part of the ritual for becoming King of Fanelia and stood underneath the EscaFlowne, his father's old guymelof. The door swung open to the room at the time and he saw Hitomi there. Her hands where on her knees as she tried to get a moment of catching her breath. "VAN!" He heard Hitomi shout which seemed to bring a smile on his face just at the sound of her voice. "I Van Fanel, King of Fanelia, summon you, EscaFlowne, Sleeping Dragon Awaken!" (I don't remember exactly what he said so poop on you. I'm too lazy to go back and watch the first bloody episode for one sentence.) Blood dripped from his thumb on to the energist as soon as he started to speak since he had cut it for the blood pack. It dripped on to the pinkish reddish energist in his hand and he held it up. A strong gust of wind came down from the cage that held EscaFlowne. The cage cracked and the guymelof, the EscaFlowne came down and landed on one knee. Van walked over to it and stuck his hand with the energist in it, and as he pulled his hand out, the pink crystal which resembled (I think it does anyway.) the dragon's heart started to beat. He then walked up to it and opened it and got in. "It's just like the text book says." Van said out loud and that's when he heard Hitomi's voice calling to him after he with drew the sword.

"Van, Fanelia's going to burn…" Hitomi said somewhat frantically.

"I'm not going to let that happen." Van promised. "Hide." He ordered and Hitomi looked for a place to hide but there wasn't much of one so she managed to find a spot at the back of the room to stay. At that moment the wall busted in but no one could be seen.

* * *

Yes I took that part from the anime but oh well. I already gave my disclaimer and I'll give it again! I do not own EscaFlowne or have created it, yada yada yada. You might think that you know what happens next but you are WRONG my friends. WRONG! You might have some of it correct but for the most part I think you are on the completely wrong track or sort of on the wrong track or mostly on the wrong track. (Don't mind me, it's 2:30 in the morning and I'm hyper on Pepsi! WHOOHO!) Want to know if you're guesses are right as rain? WELL FIND OUT ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF WYELM! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! UU I am a sad person, aren't I? 


	19. The Fight For Fanelia!

**CHAPTER NINETEEN – The Fight For Fanelia and Hitomi!**

Van couldn't see where the enemy was; his sight was good, but he couldn't see them. _'Damn, where is it?'_ Van asked himself as he looked for it with his reddish-brown eyes.

"VAN! LOOK OUT ABOVE!" Hitomi shouted as she saw it.

……….

Van heard his wife's voice and quickly moved the large sword that belonged to EscaFlowne above his head to block the enemies weapon that he couldn't see. "IT'S INFRONT OF YOU!" Hitomi shouted and Van moved his sword to where it would hit whatever it was in front of him and as soon as he broke free from whatever it was he was blocking, he swung the huge sword to the side and hit something solid. A guymelof appeared and fell down damaged. Sweat rolled down his face since he didn't like this kind of combat but he had to defend his country.

He fought the invisible enemy as Hitomi shouted out where they where. He then heard laughter coming from somewhere and his head turned to see where it was coming from. The battle had been going on for minutes and he wasn't doing too well and was only surviving by putting his trust in to Hitomi's abilities. She had been right every time so far and he couldn't see the enemy so he had to trust her.

……….

"Grab the queen and bring her here." Folken ordered Dilandau who was having way too much fun burning everything in sight that could be burned.

"I will, after I have my fun."

"We need the king, and EscaFlowne unharmed." Folken stressed. "Use Fanelia's Queen as bait."

"You're boring." Dilandau said annoyedly. "How am I to know what this queen looks like anyway."

"Short dirty blonde hair and is standing in the same room as the king and is wearing what the people from Tier call a skirt but it is actually a short dress." A woman's voice suddenly says.

"Yukari, what are you doing there? I thought I told you to stay…"

"I'm observing from the ground Folken-Sama." Yukari said. "You did say for me to help my husband after all."

_'Irritating couple.'_ Folken thought to himself as he stood next to one of the glass windows of the floating fortress.

………..

Before Hitomi knew it she felt something grab her. "VAN!" Hitomi shouted as she was lifted up in the air by a guymelof. She could see it, clearly. "VAN!" Hitomi shouted again. Balgus suddenly appeared and sliced off the guymelof's arm, Hitomi dropped to the floor with the arm still around her.

"Get Queen Hitomi to a safe area Van-Sama!" Balgus shouted over the loud sound of clashes from the guymelofs swords.

Van's eyes moved back to look at Hitomi and Balgus and then back at the enemy. He brought the large EscaFlowne sword back and then forward to block the on coming attack.

………

"My queen, you should be at the safety area with the other women and children." Balgus said as he helped free Hitomi from the large guymelof hand. "Why are you here?"

"Van, he needs my help." Hitomi said and then looked at her husband again. "ABOVE!" She shouted and Van blocked the invisible weapon at that moment as soon as he heard his wife's voice once again.

_'Perhaps she does have the power.'_ Balgus thought to himself as he jumped on top of another guymelof who had made it's weapon visible. _'Perhaps she has the power to save Fanelia from these damn invisible youkai.' _Balgus thought and the guymelof that he was standing on top of started to move out of the EscaFlowne chamber.

"LORD BALGUS! WATCH OUT!" Hitomi shouted as soon as she saw the vision of Balgus dieing by a weapon that comes from the side and strikes him dead. Moments later, as soon as Balgus started to turn his head, Balgus was knocked off of the guymelof, his huge sword still with in the enemies guymelof and Balgus fell to the ground. Tears started to come from Hitomi's eyes as she watched the great samurai fall. Fanelia was burning and Van was still fighting the ones that kept coming. She then felt another grip around her, like the guymelof that had tried to capture her before. "VAN!" Hitomi shouted.

Van just finished destroying the invisible guymelof and turned around to find Hitomi disappear. "VAN!" He heard Hitomi scream. "HITOMI!" Van shouted back but could see nothing. He ran out of the room through the damaged wall and his eyes widened in shock. A majority of Fanelia was on fire, not all but most of it was. A lot of his samurai where on the ground dead, having had fallen in battle by the invisible enemy. "VAN!" He heard his name being called again as the green eyed queen was taken off in to the night.

"HITOMI!" Van shouted knowing that it wouldn't do any good since he didn't have Hitomi's power of sight. The young Fanelian king fell to his knees and a loud scream came from his lips. He didn't know what hit him, perhaps it was anger from his country being destroyed by an invisible enemy, perhaps it was the fact that he had lost this battle, whatever the reason, he had to let his anger out someway.

………..

"Folken, we have the wench you wanted." Dilandau said after he and the other Dragon Slayers came back from their hunt. "However, wouldn't it have just been a lot more fun to beat the king senseless and taken his damn guymelof?"

"We where here just to observe for the moment until our allies arrived Dilandau." Folken scolded. "Emperor Dunkirk isn't very pleased with you." Folken said.

"I got the job done didn't I?" Dilandau asked annoyed. "Besides, I don't think he's all that great, the Fanelian king, he's weak as a new born baby."

"Well yes seeing how it was his first real combat using the espano guymelof EscaFlowne. (Correct me on any spelling of the words. I don't mean spelling errors but ya know like words from the anime or names or whatever…)

"First time?" Dilandau asked laughing. "I'm surprised that he has survived his first time. He won't be his next."

"Don't get over confident Dilandau, the more he fights the better he'll most likely become."

"Yes well, I won't let him live past the next time." Dilandau said.

"Emperor Dor…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, he wants him alive."

………….

Another prison cell. Oh gods, another one, not another one. Hitomi huddled herself up against the wall that she was chained to and hugged her knees. Another prison, NO! She didn't want to be here, how could she have let herself end up here. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she thought of Van and Mamoru and remembered Van's last kiss. _'Van, come save me soon…'_ Would he come though? She wondered. Why would he?

……………………


	20. For Hitomi!

Yeay! I made it to chapter 20 and should be doing my English essay but oh well. I don't feel like it at the moment since I just watched EscaFlowne and was inspired. I promised you that there would be action in here didn't I? Just not hentai action, there will be none of that. No sir or ma'am I should say, whatever gender you happen to be. Well enjoy this latest chapter.

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Van looked around his damaged country as soon as he had calmed down and got out of EscaFlowne. He felt where Mamoru punched him across the face earlier which was the reason that had calmed him mostly. Hitomi was captured, Fanelia was burning, and they where at war with an enemy that they didn't even know who it was.

_'My parents locked me up in the dungeons for this curse.'_ Hitomi had told him. He couldn't let her be left in the dungeon, not again. He punched his fist against the nearest thing and had every able body that wasn't wounded by the attack or wasn't attending the wounded to start to put the fires out. Her vision had finally come true. She had warned him from the moment they had been married and her vision was true. All four of his Lords of Fanelia where dead. (I just watched this episode and can't remember if they're generals or lords…)

"What are we going to do about Hitomi?" Mamoru asked angrily.

"I don't know where she is, how are we going to find her unless if you have some plan." Van said, hoping that his voice didn't let out the way he felt.

"I have a plan, I don't know if it'll work for me, but it's something my grandmother had taught Hitomi when we where younger and I watched even though she didn't teach me directly, I sort of…"

"What is it?" Van asked being irritated by Mamoru since he didn't having time for it.

"Grandmother called it dousing." Mamoru explained. "It's suppose to be able to find someone that you're looking for. That is how Hitomi was able to see the enemy." Mamoru explained.

"Do you know how to do it?"

"I remember her telling Hitomi how to do it but I've never done it myself." Mamoru explained.

"If it'll help, I'll try anything at the moment." Van said and his eyes met Mamoru's green ones.

"Get me a map then." Mamoru ordered. "If there are any left."

…………

They stood in a room of the castle which hadn't been destroyed and Van had managed to find a map of Gaea that wasn't burned or torn or damaged during the attack. Mamoru wished that he had the pendant at that moment but had borrowed one of Hitomi's other necklaces that had a similar feature and hoped that it would work instead. Since the necklace belonged to Hitomi he assumed that he wouldn't need anything else that belonged to her. _'Close your eyes and picture what you want to find.'_ He could hear his grandmother, who looked exactly like Hitomi expect that she usually liked to wear her hair in braids instead of just keeping it short however, he noticed that over the past few months she had let it grow out a little, even though it was still short, but not as short as it was. He pictured his sister in his mind as he held the necklace over the map.

The door opened and Hitomi's eyes where pained by the dungeon suddenly being filled with light. She squinted her eyes and once her eyes adjusted they opened wide with shock as she saw the all too familiar person standing there in front of her. "Yukari, where you captured to?" Hitomi asked and she was looked up at her old child hood friend as the red head began to laugh.

"Goodness no, you are such a ditz, you do know that don't you Tomi?" Yukari asked as she called Hitomi by her old nickname.

"Why are you…" Hitomi asked and felt Yukari slap her across the face.

"You are stupid Hitomi." Yukari said. "I figured with all of that schooling that they gave you in Fanelia as well as Tier that you would become smarter but I guess that I was wrong. You are still the same naive Hime that I use to know as a child."

"That's enough, Yukari." Another voice said as the door opened again and a taller figure that Hitomi had never seen before came in. "I was instructed to keep you alive, here is some water to drink, it's not poisoned." The males voice promised and bent down and took it to Hitomi's lips who gathered a mouthful and spat it out in the man's face. "Go to hell!" Hitomi said but as she said it, she could feel something strange about this man's aura, it reminded her of someone elses. Whose aura did it remind her of though? She wondered momentarily.

"I see, your not thirsty then." The man said somewhat annoyed as he then took his cloak and whipped the water off of his face.

Yukari kicked Hitomi in the side and Hitomi forced herself to hold back the cry that wanted to come, she wouldn't let these people see her as weak. "Damn bitch of a queen whore!" Yukari shouted.

"Yukari, don't do that to her highness, our emperor wants her alive, remember that." The man said.

"Yes, but can I play around with her for a while?" Yukari asked.

"No Yukari, we are suppose to…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Yukari said not caring. "I won't kill her, just knock her out cold."

"No Yukari."

"Fine, then I'll just cut off that pretty little hair of hers." Yukari said. "Or what she considers pretty anyway. It's so short as is, so what difference does it make if you look like a boy?" Yukari asked and before Folken could stop her, she grab the three inches of hair that Hitomi had and pulled out a knife hidden in her pants and put the knife close to Hitomi's head but not too close, and started to cut away the hair that had started to grown there these past few months. Yukari let the hair fall to the ground and closed her knife and put it back in its spot on her belt.

Hitomi, just looked up at Yukari not really knowing what to think of what just happened. She wasn't vain exactly, but the swelling pain in her side, and the shock of being captured by her once best childhood friend, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying. She would not let them see her cry. She had promised herself. She wouldn't.

"Yukari, I want to have a talk with you in private." The man had said as he turned to the closed door.

"Why? Are you feeling pity towards the queen of your old homeland?" Yukari asked.

"Now!" Folken said not usually raising his voice towards other people but this woman was irritating him. No wonder why she was married to Dilandau. He thought as he opened the door and waited for Yukari to follow him. Yukari kicked Hitomi once again and then left and the man followed behind her.

Hitomi let herself fall to the ground that time on her uninjured side since the pain was too much. Both emotional and physical pain soon over whealmed her, and silent tears fell from her eyes. _'Van, Mamoru…'_

………..

"There!" Mamoru shouted sighing as the necklace spun around in one particular area.

"That's near Fanelia and Arazas." Van said as he looked at it. "Let's go."

"How do you plan on getting there?" Mamoru asked.

"Leave that to me." Van said as he headed out of the room and Mamoru followed.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you stay here and…"

"Leave the Fanelian King to go rescue his queen with out any back up?" Mamoru asked. "I'm coming.

"Fine, don't get in my way." Van said and Merle was outside the room when they opened the door. "Merle!"

"Van-Sama, come back safe." Merle said. "I know there's no stopping you, but come back safe."

"I'm disappointed in you listening in Merle."

"I'm sorry Van-Sama." Merle said as she looked down and then felt Van ruffle his hand through her pink hair. "Bring her back, we might not be very good friends, but she is our queen after all." Merle hesitated. "And Queen Hitomi once said that if two people share the same feelings then the other person should return them."

"Merle, I'll bring her back." Van promised.

There was something about Van at that moment that made Mamoru look at the young king with a different look then his normal glare and a grin was on his face. _'Perhaps I can leave my sister in his hands.' _Mamoru thought as he followed Van out to where he had left EscaFlowne and watched the young king get in. "How are we…"

Van watched from the inside as the EscaFlowne turned in to it's dragon form and then was on the outside. "It's just as the text says." Van thought out loud. "Are you coming or not?" Van asked the older prince who just gawked at it.

"Yes, but how are we going to get there?" It was in the shape of a dragon, but Mamoru wondered if it could actually fly.

"GET ON!" Van shouted angrily at the older prince. "Or I'm leaving with out you." He then turned to his childhood friend who had followed the two outside. "Merle, I leave Fanelia to you."

"Van-Sama…"

"If anyone gives you any trouble, tell them that as my adopted sister, I Van Fanel order you to take my place until I return." Van said and Merle just looked at him.

"Yes Van-Sama." Merle said and watched as the Tierian prince then got on to where Van was and they lifted off.

"Hold on…" Van said somewhat bashfully not liking the idea of having a man so close to him. "Unless if you want to fall off."

Hesitantly, Mamoru put his arms around Van's waist. _'This is for Hitomi, this is for Hitomi.'_ He forced himself to think as they then flew off in to the night.

"Come back safely, Van-Sama." Merle said to herself quietly as she held her hand to her fast beating heart. "Van-Sama…"

* * *

This should satisfy you for a while. See, I'm writing a few of the next chapters during spring break so I'll have them for when I decide to post them. I've already written up to chapter twenty three I think. Or is it twenty five now? I don't remember and am too lazy to go look since ramen is waiting for me and it doesn't taste good cold. Here's your update even though it's not a long wait and thanks for the reviews everyone and continue to review or I won't update! You know that I have the chapters but I can be evil like that because I am evil: tries to look innocent : Yeah right! 


	21. Hope and Despair

**Chapter Twenty One – The Path To Destruction**

We where flying to what felt like was forever, there was something in me that I haven't really noticed before. Yeah sure, I knew that I could talk to the dead and see them and stuff, but unlike my sister Hitomi, I could never see invisible living things. The wind blew through my short hair and was slapping my face as I looked at the king's back. This was the man that my sister had come to fall in love with, sometimes I never knew why, but now I knew. I knew that he probably loved her more then he knew and wasn't going to admit it yet. They where both young and stubborn, however I knew that there was something there that neither one was ready to admit. Just like there was something that I never dared to admit to Hitomi, since we where brother and sister it would be unjustified since not only where we brother and sister, but prince and princess of Tier. If I had told her, I wonder what she would have said to those little words that I wanted to say. I knew it was wrong but it was accepted in my country just like men loving men and women loving women where. My country was strange, but that was just the way it was and I was even surprised that my suppose to be father allowed it to stay that way. With in the pouch I always wore along with a few spare weapons in case I lost my sword, two books rested with in them. One was my grandmother's diary that I had planned on giving to Hitomi before I left since I knew that she and my grandmother where close, the second book was my mother's diary from the time before I was born up until a short time after Hitomi was born. I figured that she just got a new one since it stopped in a strange place. At times I wished I would have known that mother whose personality was hidden with in these pages, however I knew that since the marriage with our current father, that would never be possible, that woman was dead forever.

My eyes watched Van as he drove the EscaFlowne, the famous Fanelian guymelof that King Ghou (I think that's spelt right, correct me if I'm wrong.) had used during the last Fanelian war. It was because of that reason that Tier and Fanelia had become allies and especially more so after my sister Hitomi was born. "There!" I said suddenly sensing something or maybe I was told by one of the spirits that lingered around Gaea that Zaibach's invisible floating fortress was near by, whatever it was, I could sense that it was there. Maybe this was how Hitomi felt when she could sense other people's energies or auras. "Promise me." I said suddenly having a strange feeling.

"What?" Van asked looking back with his head slightly turned towards me.

"Promise me that no matter what happens to me, that you'll get Hitomi out of there." I say and silence fills between the two of us. I didn't like Van much, but I trusted him with this much.

"But you'll…"

"Damn it!" I swore. "Just promise!"

Van manages to turn his head to the older prince for a moment and can see the seriousness with in the man's eyes. "I promise, however, let's hope that it won't come to that. Hitomi would be sad with out you."

"Thank you." I say. So he did care for my sister, at least now I knew for sure that I could leave her in his hands. Sometime told me that I wouldn't make it out of there this night, perhaps it was one of the spirits warnings, perhaps it was that I had a little bit of the same gift as grandmother and Hitomi even though it never showed before. Whatever this feeling I had was, I knew that I would never set foot in Fanelia or Tier again. For the rest of the time, we flew in silence, at least, I would get to fly like a bird before I died, this was better then an air ship any day.

………….

"The dragon is coming!" A voice sounded off with in the Zaibach fortress. Folken was sure to get Yukari and Dilandau out of there right after having had captured Hitomi after he found out that Yukari had badly injured the girl. Why he was trying to make sure that no harm came to the girl so badly, he didn't know. It was just on orders. As he walked to the prison cell a loud booming could be heard coming from somewhere in the fortress. _'So you've finally came Van." _Folken thought and noticed that the guard had already fled to his post. He opened the door and entered and found green eyes staring at him with hatred and fear in them. "Your king has come for you." Folken said.

Hitomi said nothing but just stared.

"I had no intention of killing you however, having a hostage and letting them die is not worth it." Folken continued. He then took the key and unlocked the chains that held her.

"So after going through all of that trouble of capturing me and burning Fanelia you're letting me go?" Hitomi asked wondering what was going on in this man's mind.

"No, I have no intention, I have something else in mind." Folken said and then grabbed Hitomi by the arms and picked her up. "Move." Actually he did have the intention of letting her go truthfully.

"Go find her, I'll keep these guys busy." Van said as he landed the EscaFlowne.

"Understood!" I say as I then leave the young king to the enemies and run forward through the door, killing anyone with in my path as I go. I stand behind a wall as soon as I see six soldiers wearing blue.

"We can't act with out Dilandau's orders." A blonde says.

"Split up and find him." A brown head says.

"SIR!" The other four say and then leave. Once I see that one of them, a blonde hair one is alone, I grab him, knock his weapon out of his hand, and hold him to where my blade touches his throat. "Now Zaibach scum, take me to where you're holding Queen Hitomi." I order. "Or your pretty little head rolls." I could have sworn that I heard the soldier gulp.

……….

"Where is she?" I asked the soldier.

"This is her cell." The soldier replied. "She must have been taken to the front to meet the king." He laughed. "They'll both die and go to hell together, a fighting end for a whore." Nothing else came from the man's mouth since I slit his throat at that moment. A nothing boom and a scream that came from what sounded like my sister. "Hitomi!" I say and run towards the direction of the scream but before I start to run I stop because I see the spitting image of my sister, however it's my grandmother.

_'Mamoru…'_ She says almost painfully in to my mind.

"Grandmother." I reply acknowledging that she was there.

_'I'm not suppose to be telling you this, however…'_

"I know grandmother, I know that I'm going to die." I reply and she looks at me with her sad green eyes and touches my face. "At least I'll get to be with you and grandfather again."

'Yes, we'll be together again over here, I'll be waiting for you, protect her.' My grandmother orders.

"Don't worry, you know and have always known my true feelings for my sister. Just like you and grandfather." I tell her and she smiles sadly. "See you soon." I say and she disappears. It would be nice to live, however I knew that my days where literally numbered. This would be the last day for me on Gaea, and I would never find out who my true father was. If my sister could find him then that would fulfill my wish other then for her to live. I then stepped over the dead body and ran towards the direction to where my sister's scream was heard.

………

They neared the front with the man holding her stopped as soon as they reached the outside door. "Van, that will be enough!" The man says and Van stops. Hitomi just stares at the white guymelof in disbelief that Van came.

……….

Van turned around and saw a man wearing a cloak holding Hitomi come out. "LET HER GO DAMN YOU!" Van shouts.

"Get out of there and then we'll talk." The man says and Van just narrows his eyes at him. _'I knew I shouldn't have left Mamoru to Hitomi!'_ Van swears angrily at himself.

"Get out of there and we'll talk." The man repeated calmly.

Van swore and did as the man said to regretfully. He stepped out of the EscaFlowne and stood in front of it. He said nothing but glared angrily at the man.

"It seems as if you've managed to kill all of my men." Folken said.

Van said nothing and didn't care, he had to rescue Hitomi. "If you've harmed her I'll…"

"I was not the one who harmed her, another has." Folken answered. "My emperor wants you and your EscaFlowne." Folken said getting down to what mattered.

Van just looked at him like he was insane. "So you burned Fanelia for me and my guymelof?" Van asked angrily.

"That was not part of the plan." Folken replied.

Before Van could say anything else, he saw Mamoru appear at that moment and charge toward Folken dangerously and kicked the sword out of the man's hand. "GET HITOMI OUT OF HERE!" Mamoru shouted and it was at that moment when more Zaibach guymelofs appeared on the edge next to EscaFlowne and Van and the man holding Hitomi had been knocked on the ground. Hitomi grabbed hold of Hitomi and threw her to Van which was a dangerous throw since Van was a distance away. "Give this to her!" Mamoru shouted and tossed the pouch with his extra knives in it. Van barely caught Hitomi as is she landed next to his chest and then caught the bag. "GO! Don't forget!" Mamoru shouted and Van nodded. As soon as the king turned around three large guymelofs floated toward the edge. Van quickly jumped up and got in to the EscaFlowne and turned it to dragon mode and held his hand out to Hitomi. "COME ON!" Van took the sword and easily killed the three guymelofs before they had time to react with his sword in his dragon's hand and before he had time to let Hitomi on, the ground beneath her feet, or the floating fortress crumbled from the attacks he had made on thee fortress earlier. Hitomi then fell towards the ground beneath them, at a devastating speed.

"Damn!" Van shouted as he tried to make the EscaFlowne go faster, but it wasn't working. Hitomi was already caught in a faster falling rate then what he could make the dragon fly. The King of Fanelia then threw off his red shirt and white wings came out of his back. He then let the EscaFlowne fall as he flew down to save Hitomi.

……………..

I screamed as I was falling, the gravity pulling me back down to the Earth (Or Gaea but Earth is usually referred to as the ground and sounds better then ground. I know that their on Gaea so don't pester me about it!) I spotted white feathers falling around me and I looked up to find a man with white wings holding his arm out towards me, trying to catch me before I fell to the ground and was killed. I reached out my arm toward his and our hands met. I couldn't see his face because of the sun as it began to rise. Warm caring arms gently rapped around me as he carried me gently down to the earth.

…………...

I grinned as soon as I saw the wings come out of Van' back not having had known that he was one of those people, a draconian. Who would have known or thought about it? At least that that was another thing they had in common, was that they where both considered to be cursed. Unlike the prejudice of the world towards them, I felt none to the draconian. He was a man and would keep his promise to me for protecting my sister. The only thing in this world that I regretted was not telling her that I loved her not as my sister but as a man would love a woman. True, we where related by blood, however, that did not stop a man from loving his cousin so why was it different for a man to feel that way about his sister? Images flew in my mind of my childhood and then of mine and Hitomi's first moments together. I felt the sword go through me and as I looked up to see this world alive for one last time, I saw my grandmother and grandfather waiting for me. They smiled at me and caught hold of me gently as my eyes closed. I knew even then in my heart that war on Gaea was about to start, and that those two would be there to save it from destruction.


	22. Rescue?

**_Sorry everyone, I didn't mean to change it, but I ended up not being able to write from it. Trust me, I tried in so many different ways to find a way to write from that particular point but it was no use and it's not writers block either for once. Once again I am truly sorry for this since I know how annoying it is to have someone post a chapter and then completely change it. I'm surprised that I've made so many spelling mistakes of names or places and no one's bothered to correct me even though I've asked people to. I know now because I just started to re-watch EscaFlowne for like the hundredth time, well not that many but it's over ten now I think. Anyways, I apologize once again and thank you for all of the reviews._**

**_-Darkia- _**

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

Van knew that if he didn't reach Hitomi soon that she would be crushed as soon as she hit the ground. Gravity was pulling her back down quick and he was pushing himself to the limit. 'Go faster Van!' He shouted in the depths of his mind. "DAMN WINGS!" He swore. 'GO FASTER!' He reached his gloved hand towards Hitomi's bare one. She reached her hand out to him, ready for him to rescue her. He was so close yet so far.

'Van, he's a draconian…' Hitomi thought to herself as she continued to reach her hand out to Van, his hand was almost touching, their finger tips where almost able to touch one another. 'Why didn't he tell me?' She thought as she stared at his wings, they where beautiful, she didn't see why people called Draconians the cursed people, he was beautiful, like an angel. Maybe that's where they had got the idea from? It was at that moment when their hands met and she could feel the warmth of his hand pulling her body up and closer to his. She felt both arms wrap around her and she suddenly felt his lips brush against hers as they where headed downward back towards the ground. Hitomi could feel something hot begin to burn where the pendant was and even through her blouse, she could tell that the pendant was glowing a bright pink. A blue light descended from the heavens, and engulfed them as well as EscaFlowne. Darkness took over Hitomi as the pillar of light took them.

…………

When they landed, EscaFlowne was next to them, and Hitomi was unconscious in his arms. They where in a wooded area and he didn't know where they where. They where on Gaea, that was for sure, but where? Van pulled his wings back in to his back quickly. It was some time after that when he heard an owl screeching and flew over his head and then back toward a direction of the woods. His head turned towards that direction and a man stood there, the sun blocking out his face. The man stepped towards Van as he walked slowly towards him and Van carefully put Hitomi down and reached for his sword.

"Don't draw!" The man said clearly as Van hesitated for a moment. "If you draw, you will be in a world of hurt, Fanelia." The voice said which made Van stop for a moment and then watched as the man's face was now clearly visible. Long blonde hair, and blue eyes, Van knew who it was having had met him back at his castle in Fanelia, while it still stood fully. Allen Schezar, a calie knight.

"Come with me, I'll take you to my castle." Allen said. "You look like you've been through hell, Fanelia." Allen said. "I heard that Fanelia was attacked, come with me."

"Are you working with them as well?" Van asked as he stared at Allen's back.

"I am with Asturia, Fanelia. I simply wish to help since Queen Hitomi is Millerna Hime's friend." Allen added.

Van released his grip on his sword and picked up Hitomi. "What about my…" Van said suddenly hesitating.

"It should be safe here for now, however, it would probably be best to take it with you, if you wish, I would take Queen Hitomi while you piloted EscaFlowne." Allen suggested and Van hesitated, especially after what Hitomi had just been through. "I wish no ill harm towards Fanelia." Allen said calmly. "I only wish to help. No harm will come to you, you are a guest of my castle."

"I'll be watching you carefully." Van said and Allen chuckled.

"And here, Millerna Hime said that you two looked as if you where ready to kill one another." Allen thought.

"What are you laughing about."

"Sorry, something that Millerna Hime told me the last time I saw her." Allen replied.

Van hesitated once again but then got inside of EscaFlowne and followed Allen to his castle. Once inside the hanger where they kept the guymeolfs, Van quickly went to where Allen was and Allen handed Hitomi over to Van.

"You two seem to have been through a lot, I'll give you a room to stay for the night, as well as the information I know. If you don't mind, I would like to hear your side of the story." Allen said and once again hesitating, Van nodded.

"Fine." Van said not having much of a choice.

…………

"An invisible enemy?" Allen asked. "The only one I know who can turn their guymelof's invisible is Zaibach."

"So Zaibach is who attacked Fanelia?" Van asked.

"I believe so." Allen said as he watched the young king clench his fist. "Fanelia, is mostly burnt down, there are a few places that still remain. The people where not able to stop the fire completely, a few of my country mens merchants saw what happened. The woman who you left in charge, Merle, is doing her best to do every thing that she can for Fanelia." Allen explained.

Van's fist tightened.

"What happened to you two?" Allen asked.

Van looked at Hitomi who was still sleeping soundly and looked back at Allen. He then explained what had happened.

"That's how I found you." Allen said after Van finished his story. "I saw the pillar of light and I went to investigate it."

Silence filled between the two men.

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Going back to Fanelia." Van said.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that yet Van." Allen said which made Van glare at him. "We don't know what state Hitomi is in, and if she is injured, then she might not be able to travel very well. Fanelia is more then an one day ride Van."

Van clutched hold of his fist but released it knowing that Allen was right. If Hitomi was injured, she couldn't travel, and he couldn't leave her here, even if Hitomi was Millerna Hime's friend. He heard a sudden moan which made him look towards the bed and was looking down in to green eyes, green eyes that could pull him in and…

"Van…" Hitomi whispered. "Where are we?" Hitomi asked.

"My castle, your highness." Allen said. "I don't know if you remember me or not, but I am Allen Schezar, calie knight of Asturia." Allen said.

"Yes, I remember, how did we…" Hitomi started to ask as she started to sit up and winced. "Get here." Hitomi ask as she tried to ignore the pain.

"I'll let Fanelia explain that to you. I'll leave you two alone." Allen said as he then bowed and walked outside.

"Van, what happened…" Hitomi asked. "I can't remember what happened. The last thing I remember, was being captured and then, everything is blank." She said and then finally allowed herself to grasp hold of her side. "It hurts, what happened?" She asked and Van pushed her back to the bed.

"You remember Fanelia being attacked and you being captured?" Van asked and watched as Hitomi nodded. "Mamoru used this dowsing technique that he said that he had learned from your grandmother as he watched her teach you, and we found you." Van said. "A man with silver-white hair came out and brought you, telling me to get out of EscaFlowne or he would kill you. Mamoru, had gone inside to find and rescue you while I kept the men outside busy." Van explained. _'She doesn't remember me showing her that I'm a draconian…'_ Van thought angrily. "I ended up having to get out since I didn't know if he would hurt you or not and Mamoru came at that moment. He cut the man's arm and threw you to me and I caught you. He told me to get you out of there and I managed to get back in EscaFlowne as you watched Mamoru fight. I turned EscaFlowne in to it's dragon form…"

"Dragon form?" Hitomi asked not knowing what Van was talking about.

"EscaFlowne has two forms, the first is the normal guymelof form that you remember seeing. The second, it actually looks like a dragon and can fly." Van explained. "As soon as I managed to get it change in to it's second form, and then the ground cracked and broke. I'm guessing that it was from my earlier attacks on the fortress. You fell and I dove after you. Once I caught you, we ended up here as a pillar of light surrounded us." Van knew that he had left out a great deal of what happened. Maybe it was better that she didn't know.

"Mamoru Oni-chan, what of him?" Hitomi asked.

"I don't know, I think he was killed." Van said sadly and watched as tears started to come down Hitomi's eyes.

"Oni-chan…"

"I'm sorry, he made me promise not to come back for him." Van said. "I know that this isn't the time, but you're hurt, let me look at your wound." Van said tenderly after Hitomi had been given time to cry.

"Is that all? Just to look at that? Are you sure that you don't want to look at anything else?" Hitomi asked suddenly.

"Wha…"

"Is that the real reason why you want to look at me?" Hitomi asked remembering how the last time, he had looked at her to do that with her and had said that he loved her, but ever since their last fight, she wasn't so sure.

"Yes, I wouldn't do that to you with out your permission Hitomi." Van said blushing slightly. He tried not to get angry with her since she accused him of wanting to do nothing but have sex with her. What had happened to her during her time of capture? He wondered. "My thoughts are innocent at the moment, or innocent from the thought of sex." Van said which made Hitomi blush this time.

"Sorry…" Hitomi said. "I… shouldn't have said that…" Hitomi added feeling sorry that she had said that.

"That's fine, you don't even have to lift your shirt the whole way." Van said as he gently lifted Hitomi and she raised her shirt to where it was covering right below her breasts. Van saw a large bruise at her side. A bruise wasn't normally painful, but one as big as this might be. There might have also been some damaged bones or something underneath it. "I'm not a healer." Van said firmly. "But I do know a few things from expierence, does it hurt to breath?" He asked as he pressed Hitomi's side.

"No." She replied wincing.

"At least, there's a hope that you don't have broken ribs, I broke two of my ribs once after falling off a horse when I was younger, and it hurt to breath." Van said as he then looked at Hitomi's other side.

That was the first time, Van had ever shared any of his past with him, she couldn't help but to smile. Why was she smiling when she just lost her brother? Gods, what was wrong with her? "I know that I should still hope that he's still alive, however, something inside of me tells me that he's gone." Hitomi said as she looked down at the bracelet that she was wearing, the one that he had given her on her wedding day.

"Hitomi…"

"I don't know why, but I think that it was an oni-chan thing, he was always over protective of me for some odd reason." Hitomi continued.

_"Hitomi is precious to me."_ Van could hear Mamoru's voice echo in his mind. _"Protect her."_

"This bracelet, he gave it to me, before our wedding." Hitomi said as she looked at Van. "He had over heard our conversation that day in the garden." She paused as she looked at it. "He gave it to me, to let me know that someone always loves me no matter what, even though he might not act like it half of the time." Hitomi said. "Why would he give up his life to save mine?" She asked.

"Because you are an important person to him, Hitomi." Van said now stroking Hitomi's back gently since she had let her shirt fall back down and was crying in to his chest. His shirt had also somehow been transported along with them, he wasn't complaining though, as odd as that was since he did throw it off whenever he went to go save Hitomi. He then stroked her dirty blonde hair and now realized that it was shorter then it was when he had first married her and was cut up all chopped like, like it had been done with out care. He gently wrapped his arms around her which made her look up in to his eyes.

"Van?" She asked questionably.

"He died to let you live." Van said. "However, he isn't the only one who loves you." Van said and watched as those green eyes widened. "We fight as well you know." Van said. "And I know that you hate me, but I've fallen in love with you, Hitomi."

"Van…" Hitomi managed to say before he kissed her. Her eyes widened as far as they could go before they closed. When the kiss broke some time after that, she sighed and rested her head on his chest, and could hear his heart. Why was it that she was so happy, even though her brother had died? Was it wrong? "I don't hate you Van." Hitomi finally answered after a few moments of silence. "I told you a long time ago, that I love you, well it wasn't too long ago actually even though it feels like it's been for ever." Hitomi said. "I get mad at you because you didn't feel the same way towards me as I do you."

Van was smiling at her, he was actually smiling, that must have been the first time he had smiled in years, or at least that's what it felt like. "Here." Van said handing her the bag that Mamoru had thrown him. "This is from your brother, he wanted me to give this to you."

"Thank you." Hitomi said as she took it from him. It was just a bag, but it did mean a lot since it was from him, and there must have been something inside of it that he wanted her to see. She opened it, and there where a few knives, some other small weapons, and a small book in it. She took the book out and a piece of paper fell out of it, Van picked it up for her and handed it to her. It was addressed to Hitomi Kanzaki Fanel.

_My Dear Sister Hitomi,_

_I know that by the time that you receive this, I will most likely be dead unless if you had somehow discovered it in my room while you might have been snooping around in it, which is unlike you so I know that I am dead by the time you get this. There are so many things that I wish I could have told you, but since you are married as well as my sister, I will not let those words be written or even spoken. I know that your heart belongs to Van, and don't deny it, I know you too well, better then yourself at times even. I wrote this during my time of visiting Fanelia, my first night here actually after the ball. First of all, you should be weary of our parents, Tomi. They can not be trusted as you know, it is rumored by my men that they would betray Fanelia in a heart beat if they got the chance to, especially since after we planned your escape to Fanelia so you could marry Van to get out of their grasp. There is talk about rebellion in Tier, among my men as well as a few other trusted people who have been growing tired of mother's ways among them. Let's just say that things have been going down hill a lot ever since you left, it had started shortly before then, but only got worse after you left. Mother had sent notices out saying that you where kidnapped by a stranger in the night and taken to Fanelia and forced to marry Van. I only found out about this when I returned home after your wedding. Mother has been planning something along with that damn bastared I hate to call father. I only told you he might not be our father, in hopes that he wasn't. Sorry for lieing to you, but I figured that you hoped the same thing._

_I know that you and only you are the only one who knows of my power to speak to the sprits, there have been whispers among them that a strong power has been born in Gaea and can save it from the coming destruction of an enemy that wants to change it. The legendary Wing Goddess you might know it as, which is the book I gave you in case you forgot. Find it if you can and must. _

_Also, there is the little fact that you and Van are having major problems with your relationship, and I can see it even now Tomi, don't lie to yourself or try to hide it. The other guests can not see, but I can since I know you." Mamoru wrote. "You need to both put aside your pity differences and try to at least trust one another since you will be stuck with the other for a long time. You love him, but you are afraid of him not loving you. You first must learn to trust one another, it all starts there. Do what I can not." Mamoru added which made Hitomi wonder what he couldn't do. "I know that my time is growing short, which is why I decided to stay behind and spend this time with you, the sprits have warned me that death lies in my future sooner then I have wished it to. There is war on the horizon, either with in Tier or Gaea, war is going to happen. Do not trust mother and father dear sister, for they are plotting something. I wish I could have said happier things in this last letter, but I am forbidden to warn you until after my death and that is a problem on my behalf since you are my favorite sister, not to mention only one at this moment and am having a difficult time keeping these things from you. I am afraid that this must come to an end now, my story is running short but yours can last an eon! Put your trust in your heart and do not weep for me. I'll be watching whenever I can._

_Love always your oni-chan,_

_-Crowned Prince Mamoru Kanzaki of Tier-_

_P.S. Sorry, I just had to make this last letter somewhat dramatic, was it too dramatic or not at all I hope that I didn't fail in doing that! Let the drama live on!_

Hitomi sweatdropped at the last sentence. What on Gaea was he thinking? She wondered as she finished reading it. "Baka!" Hitomi said which made Van look at her. "He already knew that he was going to die, but did it anyway. He also told me to be aware of our parents." Hitomi added and then saw a small writing at the bottom.

_P.P.S. If your in trouble in Tier, or near my post, show the men this ring, I'm sure that you'll recognize it, they won't give you any problems, or turn you over to mother. That I am sure of._

She then looked in the bag and at the bottom she saw her brother's ring. She took it out and looked at it. "He really did think of everything." Hitomi said to Van as she slipped it on her ring finger on her right hand. It was a little big, but it still fit well enough, he must have had it sized for her. "Baka." Hitomi said again as she looked at the two circles enclosing one another, the symbol of the Tierian crest. "I think we should go talk to Allen-San now." Hitomi said and Van just looked at her and kissed her forehead.

"Are you sure?" Van asked.

"Yes, we should, unless if you want to stay here." Hitomi said.

It was then when they heard a loud rumbling noise and Gaddes came running in.

"What's the matter?" Van asked.

"Zaibach fortress." Gaddes said. "The boss wants you to stay here or there will be trouble." Gaddes said.

"Stay here while the enemy is outside!" Van shouted.

"Yes." Gaddess replied and Van pushed past him and Gaddess quickly knocked him out.

"Why did you…" Hitomi started to ask as she caught Van who was falling.

"Because, there would be trouble if they found you two here. We are technically Zaibach's allies, or Asturia is, but the boss never really has liked Zaibach." Gaddes explained. "If the king goes running out there, there will be trouble."

"I hope that you can convience that to him when he wakes up." Hitomi said.

"I'm sure that he'll understand."

"I hope so." Hitomi replied. "Because Van has a terrible temper when he gets mad."

"It can't be that bad." Gaddes said.

"You'd be surprised, he's never lost it with me, but from what I hear, it can get pretty bad." Hitomi said trying to pick Van up but was thankful that Gaddes took over.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that when the king wakes up then won't we?" Gaddes asked. "Stay here please, I'll have the door locked."

"Alright." Hitomi said as she sat down on the bed next to Van.

…………….

"We'll need supplies Allen." Dilandau said.

"We'll be happy to share them with you." Allen said as he tried to hide the knowledge that he knew. "By the way, there have been rumors that Zaibach had attacked Fanelia, is that true?" Allen asked.

"That little run down country?" Dilandau asked. "It's said what's left of it is being dealt with by some child, and that it's king has gone in to hiding." Dilandau said. "It's queen is no where to be found, and Tier's crowned prince was killed in that attack by Fanelia who thought he was the enemy."

"Is that so?" Allen asked as he tried to keep his temper calm.

"Yes, Tier has now allied itself with us because of this as the Fanelian people call it, accident." Dilandau said laughing. "By the way Allen, you wouldn't have seen a strange guymelof running around here have you?" Dilandau asked.

"No." Allen replied.

"Too bad, if you see anything suspicious, let us know, ok?" Dilandau asked laughing.

"I think we would have spotted a guymelof around here if it wasn't our own Dilandau." Allen said. "But yes, we will let you know." These where all lies, he didn't want to had Van or Hitomi over.

Dilandau and his soldiers then turned and left.

_'Prince Mamoru was killed by Fanelia?'_ Allen thought to himself. _'Something is going on here.'_ Allen thought as he watched Dilandau leave. _'Someone is being lied to or someone with in Tier is being deceived by Zaibach, Mamoru died in rescuing his sister, now killed by Fanelia.'_

…………..

"Keep an eye out on them." Dilandau told one of his soldiers. "Their hiding something, I can feel it."

"Yes sir!" The soldier replied and let his view watch Allen's castle from it's hiding spot in the woods.

………………..

It is long because it's kind of a make up apology thing. Haha! Well other writers can understand how I feel of not being able to write to a story that they thought at the time was going to work but in the end didn't. Besides this one is better. Bwhahahaha, whatever. Well until next time. REVIEW!


	23. Chapter 23

Thanks again for all of the reviews and I didn't even have to tell ya. Hehehe. Well here's the next chapter, as if that isn't obvious? Maybe I should be doing my homework instead of writing this: sighs : I am a terrible procrastinator….

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three **

Gaddes came back when it was over with and said that it would be alright for them to wonder the castle. Allen came back a few minutes after Gaddes and looked at the unconscious Van and then back at Gaddess.

"I don't remember telling you to knock him out, you know." Allen said as he looked at Gaddes who laughed nervously.

"Well, the king would have given himself away, and especially since their after him and Hitomi, remember? How was I going to restrain him, I don't think locking him inside the door would work very well, do you?" Gaddes asked.

"No but…"

"What was that all about anyway if you don't mind me asking?" Hitomi asked as she looked at the two grown men arguing.

"Zaibach just wanted some supplies and since Asturia is technically Zaibach's alley, we're suppose to give them what they ask." Allen said and watched as the young queen's green eyes look at him with an angry look mixed with fear.

"And here you are, talking to your allies enemy?" Hitomi asked. "And you didn't turn us in?"

"I already gave you my word that they won't get their hands on you while you are a guest in this castle, Queen Hitomi. You are Millerna Hime's friend, and Millerna Hime would be very upset with me if I let anything happen to you; however there is some interesting news that we have heard from Dilandau."

"What would that be?" Hitomi asked.

"They seemed to have been able to blame Prince Mamoru's death on Fanelia." Allen said which made Hitomi's eyes widen. "I know that it was Zaibach and I believe King Van over Dilandau any day. I have never agreed with Dilandau's ways or have ever liked him, however, Tier seems to believe this story and that they have renounced their treaty with Fanelia and has made themselves an alley of Zaibach."

"What?" Hitomi asked in shock not wanting to believe it. "Mother is rash but she wouldn't believe that Van would purposely let a fellow Fanelian…" She stopped remembering Mamoru's warning. _'Mother and father can not be trusted.'_ He had warned her and what he was saying was coming true. Hitomi felt as if she was about to Faint and was caught by Allen as she started to fall to the ground and Gaddes brought her a chair. Then, she could feel that damn cursed feeling coming on again, why? Why now? Kami-Sama why?

………

_It was hot, just like it was when she got the vision of Fanelia burning. Was this another vision? She wondered as she watched fire suddenly appear as she stood there, looking at Allen's castle. _

…………..

Van woke up at that moment and quickly sat up, he glared at Gaddes as he remembered how the man had hit him and knocked him out. He jumped to his feet and his hand went to his sword, but then looked at Hitomi. It was that look on her face, the look that she had that time when she had the vision. "Damn!" He swore and went over to her; he would have to deal with Gaddes later.

………….

_A red guymelof was shooting fire out of it's arms, Gaddes, Kyio, and every one else was all dead. Dead bodies where out on the burning ground, and those who where in guymelofs where burning along with the other fire, but this fire was blue. Laughter rang in to her ears and she saw that face again, the man who had captured her, Dilandau. She could see his face. It was so hot._

……………

"Hitomi!" Van said and it was at that moment when Hitomi snapped out of the vision.

"Van…" Hitomi said quietly and then turned to Allen and looked at him with pleading green eyes. "Allen-San!" Hitomi shouted. "You have to get your men out of here, that man… the one who captured me, Dilandau, is going to burn down this castle because he knows that we are here! You need to escape while you still can, they'll come after you because they're after us!" Hitomi said frantically. The image of Dilandau was enough to set her off, but another burning and the death, she didn't know if she could handle it.

"This has all been hard on you, your highness, you should rest." Allen said and was about to gently touch the young queen's shoulder's but Hitomi's hand quickly caught his wrist. It was so fast, he didn't even see it, how was it that she was caught? He wondered silently to himself.

"No, you must run, get away from here, Dilandau will… Dilandau will…"

"She's not lieing." Van finally said as he came to his wife's defence. "She had warned me months, actually a few days after our wedding she warned me and I didn't believe her, we had months to prepare for this attack and yet, it was my fault that I didn't. She has the power of a seer."

"A seer?" Allen asked now interested.

"Yes, a seer, she had predicted Fanelia's destruction and now your castle as well. Zaibach will stop at nothing to get us, or at least Hitomi, they seem to want her for some odd reason and burned Fanelia down just to get her, we…"

"You are a guest here, I don't trust Dilandau but I don't think that he would be so foolish." Allen said. "Do not worry about it." Allen added. "You two have been through a lot, you can rest here until tonight and then we will take you with the Crusade back to Fanelia personally."

_'Crusade?'_ Van asked himself. Once they where alone he looked to Hitomi. "Are you sure that we're alone?" Van asked.

"Yes, we're alone." Hitomi said having had recovered mostly from the vision, even if it still did worry her.

"We're going to leave tonight." Van said. "If you had a vision it will most likely come true."

"Yes, I know, I'm afraid that these people might have to suffer because of us." Hitomi said as she moved over to Van. "So you're not mad that they knocked you out?" She asked.

"Only because they helped us out." Van said.

"Yes. Van, what happened to me?" Hitomi asked. "I know that we have more important matters to attend to, but why can't I remember what happened when I was captured? I remember, being taken away during the battle as I tried to help you, I remember being taken to that fortress and seeing Dilandau's face, his face was one of the faces I saw in my vision that showed Fanelia burning." Hitomi explained. "Why don't I remember?"

"Maybe since you where locked up in a dungeon again, you might have been traumatized and shut those memories deep in the back of your mind." Van explained. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think so." Hitomi said. "There has been something I've been wanting to ask you since we where married, but I was always afraid to." Hitomi said hesitating.

"What?" Van asked.

"These markings, this tattoo, does it have some sort of meaning?" Hitomi asked as she dared to touch his arm.

Van chuckled and grinned. "I'm afraid that I can't trust you with that knowledge yet." Van said and Hitomi pouted. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just where we're at." Van corrected.

* * *

I decided to put some things from the movie in there, and some things from the anime as well as some original things as well. I never said that he didn't have the tattoo, I just never mentioned it caught at chapter twenty three I finally decided to add something from the movie in there other then the whole goddess thing. You know what's really sad? I first saw EscaFlowne back when it aired on fox kids 5 or 6, or has it been 7 years now? I can't remember if I was in my first year of high school or my 6 or 7th grade year of middle school when it aired, but I am still obsessed with it now, and I'm nearing the end of my freshman year of college. I highly doubt this, but I hope that they'll make a sequel to the anime. Geeze, I even have my dad watching EscaFlowne now. LOL Well then again, me, my two sisters, and my dad are all obsessed with anime, all expect my mom. Well enough of my ramblings, please review and tell me what you think. 


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

Night time had come, and Hitomi and Van where ready to escape through the window, but a thumping sound hit the bottom of the floor to where they where staying. Van stood in front of Hitomi and Hitomi looked intensely at the floor.

"Did I find the wrong room?" They heard a voice ask and then they saw a head. "Yes, I seemed to have gotten the wrong room…" The man said as he saw Van's sword at the tip of his nose. "Or maybe not Fanelia."

"What do you want?"

"To talk to you."

…………..

"So they've seemed to escape?" Allen asked Gaddes.

"Yes."

"Prepare Schezar(Feel free totell me the correct name!)for me." Allen said. "I know where they went."

"But boss, that was already put in to the Crusade." Gaddes said.

"Do it!"

"Hai!"

………….

"EscaFlowne." Van said as soon as they reached it. "Hitomi, we're leaving!"

"Hai!" Hitomi said understanding and watched as Van jumped up to the red jewel, EscaFlowne's heart and watched him press his hand to it. It then opened and then Van got in.

"You two are going to leave so soon?" Mr. Mole asked.

"Yes, thank you for your help, Mole-San." Hitomi said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We didn't want to have to knock everyone out on our way here."

"I was actually planning on escaping myself." Mr. Mole said. "I didn't want to be here when Zaibach attacked."

"So Zaibach is…"

"I don't know." Mr. Mole answered truthfully. "I'm just a poor mole you see, I did something stupid once and tried to steal from this castle. Allen-San caught me and I ended up trapped here."

"I see."

"Allen-San is having his castle prepared for an attack." Mr. Mole said. "I don't know why but something has him on edge and if he's on edge then I want to get out of here."

"So does he believe us?" Hitomi asked Van who bent his hand down for Hitomi to get on.

"I don't know, get on, we're getting out of here before that happens." Van said and Hitomi climbed on and Van gently lifted her up. "I swear that I won't let anything happen to you again."

"Get out of there quietly Van." Allen's voice said suddenly which brought the married couple's attention to him. "I can't let you leave."

"I thought we where guests Allen." Van asked. "Guests can leave when they like."

"Not like this, if you leave now, then Zaibach will be right." Allen said.

Van pulled out EscaFlowne's sword and let it get to it's full length. He then attacked Allen, with Hitomi in hand, and charged.

"That was very foolish of you, Van!" Allen said having had been knocked back a few feet which allowed time for Van to get out of the cave where EscaFlowne was.

"Are you alright Hitomi?" Van asked.

"Yes." Hitomi lied. She was scared out of her wits. Allen got up, ready to attack, but Van changed EscaFlowne in to it's dragon mode and they where off in to the air. Every one on the ground just stared at them in shock.

………..

"He's here, I see him."

……….

"Hang on, we're going back home." Van said to Hitomi who wrapped her arms around Van's waist.

"Hai!"

………….

Short chapter but well what can I say? Nothing really besides the fact that I should once again be doing my homework. Goodness, I am such a terrible procrastinator at that. Oh, just to warn you, there will be only a few chapters to this and that I will be making a sequal to this later on. This will be continued, it will just be called by a different name which I haven't decided on a title yet because well, I'm terrible with names. I should post the next couple of chapters at least once a week or once every two weeks depending on how... generous I feel. I was going to say something else but a few of you might have been offended for me saying that so yeah. You probably have no clue to what I'm talking about and it doesn't really matter because it doesn't! Bwhahahahahahahahahaha: cougsh : Well I'm tired and I'm going to bed. : yawns : I still got a test to study for, an Engilsh paper to finish writing, and a speech to prepare, which me luck! It's all due this week. UU


	25. Almost

Thanks for all of the reviews everyone! I'm surprised that you're still reviewing after what I did earlier by changing it on all of you. Heh. I know that that was evil, but didn't I tell you that this is way better then that other version? Well you had no idea where that was heading and neither did I so hhahahahahahahahahaha. Oh! Has anyone ever read the EscaFlowne manga? Well technically it's called Hitomi Tenkuu no EscaFlowne. It reminds me of a mixture of the anime/movie. Van's actually beginning to show his feelings toward Hitomi, isn't that strange? Oh well, I wanted it that way and yeay! Van is such a bishie! Amano-sempai shouldn't be what was it that Yukari had said "Something-drool." What was it that she said? I forgot. Nya! But Van is way better then Amano and Allen any day! I decided to make it a cross over between the movie, anime, original and possibly the manga now that I've read it. Oh! I was watching the episode to where Hitomi's vision comes true to where Van rescues her from when she's falling and she sees his wings. I still don't know how she could have thought that Allen was the "Angel" (Hitomi's words, not mine!) and not Van. I mean, there is a big difference even though you can't really see Van's face. I mean if you look closely enough, the hair that you see in the vision is black with bangs and Allen is bangles and blonde with out bangs, well different then that of Van's. I mean seriously! The stupid twit! Oh well, they like one another at the end even though I don't care for the ending.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five **

"Hang on, we're going back home." Van said to Hitomi who wrapped her arms around Van's waist.

"Hai!"

Hitomi suddenly started to feel sick, she could feel herself loosing her grip on Van's waist. "Something's out there." Hitomi said as she slipped to her knees.

"Hitomi!" Van said as he looked back at his wife.

"Something… is out there…" Hitomi repeated. "Someone's calling…."

"HITOMI!" Van shouted as she passed out.

…………..

"Is that EscaFlowne?" Allen asked Gaddes.

"It looks like it." Gaddes replied. "Are you going to let them go?" He asked.

"I have no choice but to let them go, they where guests, not prisoners." Allen replied stepping out of his guymelof.

"If you say so, maybe their doing this to keep us out of danger?" Gaddes suggested.

"Maybe, I think that the queen was right though, about Dilandau." Allen said.

"What?"

"He won't stop at nothing to get what he wants." Allen answered.

………….

When Hitomi woke up, she found that she and Van had landed somewhere in a cave. "Van…" She groaned as she sat up, her head hurting.

Van walked over to her. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Why did I pass out?" Hitomi asked. "Everything just started spinning and I…"

Van laughed. "You mustn't be used to heights yet." Van suggested. "We were up pretty high."

"Sorry…" Hitomi muttered which made Van look at her confusedly. "That I'm so much trouble, sorry." She said louder as she looked down.

"It's not your fault." Van said as he came over to Hitomi. "You're just used to the ground; maybe once this is all over, I'll have to take you flying more."

"Flying, on EscaFlowne?" Hitomi asked.

"I was afraid you wouldn't remember." Van said sighing as he then took off his shirt which made Hitomi blush brightly, she had seen him naked before, they had even slept together and she still felt embarrassed when she saw just his top half naked! Perhaps she was being foolish? She was a woman after all, and his wife and it was natural for a wife to see her husband naked every once in a while... "I don't know what happened to you when you where in the castle, but I can help you remember what happened afterward. I had told you most of it, but there was one thing I left out…" Van said solemnly. He then made his white wings appear from his back which made Hitomi look at him wide with those green eyes of hers.

She remembered, she remembered everything now. Yukari beating her, cutting her hair, Mamoru dieing as he tried frantically to rescue her, and Van, Van was a draconian. "Van…" Hitomi said after a few moments of awkward silence. "Why…." A feather landed in her hands, and she saw images of Van's parents, their love towards one another, and their constant bashing as people "Why didn't you tell me?" Hitomi finally asked as she reached her hand up to Van's face who winced as if expecting to be slapped, she was just going to touch his face gently but decided to slap him instead.

Van just looked at her with eyes that looked as he had just been rejected. "Why didn't you tell me?" Hitomi asked standing up being pissed off that he had kept such a secret from her for this long.

Van looked at Hitomi a bit surprised, he had expected to be rejected and called a few names but what was she doing now?

"Why didn't you tell me that you where a draconian before, Van Fanel!" Hitomi asked angrily.

"The very reason why you didn't tell me your secret at first." Van said.

"What? Do you think I would lock you up in the dungeon and throw away the key to let you whiter away like a cage bird?" Hitomi asked. "BAKA!" Hitomi shouted angrily. "Why would I reject you for who you are you baka!" Hitomi shouted. "You know that I love you but yet you don't trust me enough not to…. BAKA! I SHOULD HATE YOU FOR NOT TELLING ME!" Hitomi said as tears came down her cheeks. "Why would I reject something that was apart of the last person alive that I love?" Hitomi asked. "Why would I hate you for something that is apart you Van Fanel? The draconians destroying Atlantis was of their account, they are not you. You might have their blood through their veins but you are not them." Hitomi said. "You are Van Fanel, King of Fanelia, not someone from a legend." Said Hitomi. "Like I said before, why would I hate you?" Hitomi asked.

Van was silent as he now stood up fully. "You and Merle are the only two people in the world, who would possibly think anything like that." Said Van as he looked down at Hitomi.

"My people have a different understanding about Draconians." Hitomi explained. "Or at least, my people I should really say my family, excluding my mother." Hitomi said as she corrected herself. "My grandmother, myself, grandfather, and Mamoru all thought that draconians weren't demons, and seemed to be the only people who didn't."

"I see." Van said. "You're family is odd then."

"You're just now noticing this?" Hitomi asked.

"True, very true." He said as he then picked up Hitomi's chin which made her look in to his eyes, those green eyes, they where piercing, not in a bad way, but they made him want to look in them forever. He pulled her in to a kiss. They somehow ended on the ground again, Van still shirtless, and they where both breathing very heavily. When Van broke the kiss Hitomi looked in to his eyes.

"Van, we shouldn't do this Van…" Hitomi protested.

"Why? I thought you…"

"Not because you're a draconian." Hitomi interrupted before he could finish. "Here, and this place, what if Zaibach comes and catches us off guard like this and well… think about it Van, think logically."

"At least one of us is, Hitomi." Van said as he regretfully got up. "You're right, we shouldn't be doing this here. We are after all wanted by Zaibach, and are on the run from them, now is not the time to be doing such an activity as mating."

"Why is it that you call it mating instead of sex Van?" Hitomi blurted out and then gasped and blushed.

Van grinned at her innocence. "Only the royal family since we're somehow connected to the dragons, we might slay them in order to get our crown, but for some odd reason they are tied to us. I don't know the whole story for sure since Balgus didn't know and my mother, she died when I was young and didn't get to tell me a lot of our families history." Van laughed. "She thought I was too young but I already knew what sex was."

"That's why they call you Dragon sometimes isn't it?"

"I guess, it's always been kind of a second name that only those who are close to me call. It's a whole strange story, I don't even want to think about it."

Hitomi smiled. "And this tattoo has been labeled on you because you are Dragon?"

"It has to do with something on my mother's side of the family, the Draconians. She said I was too young at the time and that things shouldn't be explained to children. The name Dragon, I think father had given that name to me as a second name perhaps. I never found out."

Hitomi leaned on Van's chest and claimed Van's hand in to hers. "Since I won't let you do that to me tonight, you can hold me if you like." Hitomi suggested hopefully.

"Alright, only for a little while, but then we have to get moving now that the sun is gone."

"Alright, deal." Hitomi agreed as she smiled as she felt his arms around her.

………………

* * *

Wai! They kissed! Well REVIEW! Oh, as a note I'm going to end this up soon, I'm going to put a part two underneath a different title I think since they already love each other and it will do the title injustice if I keep it at that title. 


	26. Fire

"My people have a different understanding about Draconians." Hitomi explained. "Or at least, my people I should really say my family, excluding my mother." Hitomi said as she corrected herself. "My grandmother, myself, grandfather, and Mamoru all thought that draconians weren't demons, and seemed to be the only people who didn't."

"I see." Van said. "You're family is odd then."

"You're just now noticing this?" Hitomi asked.

"True, very true." He said as he then picked up Hitomi's chin which made her look in to his eyes, those green eyes, they where piercing, not in a bad way, but they made him want to look in them forever. He pulled her in to a kiss.

**Chapter Twenty Six**

Hitomi could feel Van's lips against her neck as they have moved from her mouth downward. This was nice, yes, that he was finally showing how he felt for her, but not in a place like this. Regretfully she had to push him off which made him look at her rather hurt. "I'm sorry Van." Hitomi apologized. "I really am, because you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you. Well ever since the first time we've done this actually…" Hitomi admitted blushing which made Van grin. "Not like this Van, what if we're found while we're in the middle of doing that. That would be very embarrassing." Hitomi said. "Not to mention, we'd be caught, and humiliated."

"Hitomi, I…"

"I know Van, I'm sorry…"

He pulled away completely which made Hitomi frown, she didn't mind being held, it was just that sex was a bad idea at the moment.

"Thank you…"

"For what?" Hitomi asked.

"Stopping myself, I don't know what came over me when you said that you liked my wings…" He said with his back turned.

Hitomi smiled. "Don't worry." She said as she managed to carefully hug him from behind and was careful not to touch his wings, not knowing if it would hurt or not. She really wanted to lay her head on his warm back, but decided against it. "I love you." She then realized something and let go and touched his arm. "I just realized something, you still haven't told me what this means yet!" Hitomi said annoyedly as she touched his tattoo which made him laugh once again.

"Alright, alright." Van said as he pulled back in his wings. "I'll tell you."

…………..

"Allen, Allen, I know that you where hiding something." Dilandau said as he held the blonde knight up by the hair. "Your king won't be very happy."

"I don't care what you think Dilandau." Allen spat and was slapped across the face. "Thanks for slapping me Dilandau." Allen said mocking the younger man. "I've been hit harder by girls!" This time he was punched which left a bit of a mark on his face.

"I was trying to do you a favor Allen." Dilandau said. "And save your pretty face, however, it seems as if I was wrong."

"Because, you may have burned down this castle, but you'll never capture me for long, especially since now I know your secret, it is you who better worry about my king Dilandau." Allen said as he then looked up to see his own flying in the sky and drop his sword exactly where his bonds where and cut them. He then grabbed the sword and kicked Dilandau in the nuts. (Childish, but this is going to be the nicest way that I say the word. This is also for the kiddies who are reading this, lol) He then grabbed his sword and ended up cutting Dilandau's arm, and watched as it bleeds. "So you can bleedas welldemon." Allen said. "See ya." With that he ran towards the direction of his guymelof (will someone tell me Allen's guymelof's freaking name please!), quickly got in, and then jumped off the side of the waterfall. By the time Dilandau's back up got there, Allen was gone.

"Damn you Schezar, you'll regret this!" Dilandau shouted as he then screams with fury. After he turns his back, he doesn't get the chance to see that Allen is safely aboard the Crusade along with his owl friend and the rest of the crew.

"The queen was right about this wasn't she?" Gaddes asked Allen who looked out the window with a serious look on his face.

"Yes, it seems so." Allen replied. "But our attack happened a lot sooner then theirs did." Allen said seriously. _'We'll help you fight them Van.'_ He thought. 'They won't stop at nothing to get what they want.' He then turned to the crew. "We're heading to Palas!" Allen said. "Set the course!"

"You hear that dirt bags?" Gaddes asked loudly. "Set the course!"

"HAI!" The crew all said as they headed offtowards the of the capital ofAsturia.

…………….

"We should probably get moving." Van said once he came back and handed Hitomi a fruit. "I wanted to wait until dark and it's almost close to darkness." Van said at Hitomi who nodded. "Eat that and then we'll leave."

"What about you Van?" Hitomi asked. "Don't you need to…"

"I'm fine, I've already had something." Van reassured his wife. "While you where sleeping."

"That was hours ago!" Hitomi protested.

"I'm fine."

"Van…" Hitomi said in a threatening tone of voice. "You take this piece."

"But…"

"I'm not as weak as you think Van Fanel!" Hitomi snapped. "Besides, do you want your wife to become fat?"

"You could use a few…" The look that Hitomi gave him made him shut up instantly. "Alright alright fine, I'll eat it!" Van said giving in.

"Do you think that Allen-San and the others are alright?" Hitomi asked. "I feel as if a heavy weight has been set on them."

"Allen Schezar is a famous knight of Asturia." Van explained. "He'll be fine."

"I wonder what it is that Zaibach wants with me to go through all of these lengths just to get me." Hitomi asked out loud not meaning to. "Will Zaibach send the whole world in to war just because of me? Maybe it would be better if I was still locked away…" Her voice faded at the thought.

"Don't ever think that for a second Hitomi." Van said very firmly. "Your brother didn't throw his life away just so you could be locked away like a bird."

"You're probably right." Hitomi said. "But what if…"

"Stop with the what if's already Hitomi. We need to think about here and now."

"You're right again Van." Hitomi said as she looked down at the fruit. "I'm probably just thinking too much." Or at least she hoped that was all it was, her heart was heavy and her stomach had a tight knot in it. She had a funny feeling that Fanelia's burning, and her vision of Allen's castle burning was just the beginning of it. Some nagging voice in the depths of her mind told her that this was only the beginning, and that there was something else at mist. Little did she know at that time, she was right. Fate had already started heading down a different path that Gaea had intended, and it would not be stopped until the wings spread and the heart had fixed it back on the right path.

……………..

Somewhere else on Gaea, in a dark lonely room, a man with dirty blonde hair and green eyes wakes up with a startled gasp. Where was he and why was he still alive? This was impossible! He had died, hadn't he?

* * *

Do do do do do. Cliffy, yes I know, I am highly evil! Who can it be? Hmm…. That's for me to know and you to find out, you can guess if you like. This ends part one, I decided to keep part two on this one. I decided to take the advice of one of my reviewers, you know who you are, I can't remember your name from the top of my head but as I thought about it that way, it made sense. Thanks. Also thanks to everyone else who reviews. Wow isn't it kind of ironic that I end this part one fan fic at chapter twenty six and that the series ends at episode 26? LOL I have no life. 


	27. Part Two

Thanks for all of the reviews; this fic has made the 170 mark! Whooho! Yes, I keep track of that kind of thing since well I just do! Arigato MINNA-SAN! (If you don't know what that means or if I have spelt it wrong, it means thank you everyone!

**Part Two**

Somewhere else on Gaea, in a dark lonely room, a man with dirty blonde hair and green eyes wakes up with a startled gasp. Where was he and why was he still alive? This was impossible! He had died, hadn't he?

**Chapter Twenty Seven – Revival**

He had remembered dieing, so why was he still here? Someone had obviously brought him here and revived him somehow, so how was it that he was still alive? He had remembered the sword that went through him that belonged to the Zaibach soldier so why was it that he was still here? He suddenly heard footsteps coming towards him which made his green eyes shoot towards the direction he was hearing them from. "Mother…" He said somewhat coldly as he looked up at the woman who also had green eyes but blonde hair. (Just in case I hadn't described her before! I might not have knowing how sometimes when I type, my mind just goes and forgets little details like that.) "What am I doing here?"

"Oh, Mamoru, thank the gods that you're alive!" Queen Totomi said and flung her arms around her son. "I was so worried about you, we thought that you where dead!"

"I _was_ dead!" Mamoru shouted as he now dared to sit up, he had a slight pain still where he had been stabbed and watched as his mother slowly let go of him. "Cut the shit mother, where is HITOMI AND WHY AM I STILL ALIVE!"

"Dear, dear, you must not talk like that. The Gods have answered my prayers and have given you a second chance. Why do you still care for your sister Hitomi? She was the one who betrayed you after all?"

"What is this bullshit story that you're trying to feed me? Hitomi did not betray me! King Van and I went to go rescue her after Zaibach had attacked Fanelia and captured her! I had stayed and died so that King Van and Hitomi could escape! Damn who the fuck has been feeding you this cockshit story!" (For those of you who don't like cursing, oh well, you have only seen Mamoru's calm side up until this point. He actually intends to have a really bad potty mouth in my story and especially when he gets upset.)

"Is that what you remember son?" Totomi asked Mamoru. "Fanelia had been the first to strike Zaibach down as they where entering their country just to move by as a trade route. Zaibach simply counter attacked once their ship had been…" She shut up as soon as she was slapped.

"I have put up with your lies long enough mother, take the damn crown for me and give it to that bastard son of yours. I should be dead, what the fuck did you do to me?" Mamoru asked angrily as he grabbed his mother by her dress and pulled her close. "Don't give me this bullshit like you actually care, you brought me back because you want me for something, what the fuck is it? What did Zaibach promise you? Hitomi?" He released her as soon as the pain from the wound started. "DAMN!" (I told you he has a bad potty mouth. Hehe, it might seem like there's something different with his personality, but just keep on reading.)

"I see that they must have used their magic against you Mamoru." Queen Totomi said as soon as she was released. "Sleep son, you'll start to see things clearly soon I hope. When you are betrayed by those who you care about the most, it can do weird things to your head. Do not try to hide it, I know of your feelings for Hitomi, Mamoru." Queen Totomi said suddenly which made Mamoru glare at her fiercely. "She is your sister that makes you disgusting no matter how much it is allowed in this country. Being betrayed by someone who you hold dear to your heart can make the mind work wonders." She then turned to leave. "Sleep some more, I'll come by later when you are well."

Mamoru watched as his mother left and when he knew that he was alone, he slammed his fists down on the bed. "DAMN IT!"

………………

"Van, where are we going?" Hitomi asked after they have been traveling for a while.

"I told you, Fanelia, we should be getting close soon, I left Merle in what you would call a pinch."

Hitomi silenced herself then. How many days now has it been since they saw Allen's castle, they had avoided all towns and cities so to avoid Zaibach's attention. It's been over a week now since Mamoru had been killed.

"We're close, I recognize these stars clearly." Van said as he reassured his wife. "We're near Arzas." (Yes, I spelt the village wrong, I forgot how to spell it.) Glowing eyes looked at them through the darkness and Hitomi's eyes widened in fear. Where they Zaibach's monsters waiting for them? Or where they Dragons that roamed around Fanelia's forests? The creature like human stood up, and Hitomi had seen a person like that once in the market, a wolf person.

"Ruhm." Van said which made Hitomi look at Van. "Don't worry, he's our friend."

"It's been a while, King Fanelia, we have been worried about you." Ruhm said.

………..

It was a relief to be in a village again that they could trust. Hitomi had been given the chance to bath in the stream, even though she still felt unsure about taking a bath in the open. One of the village women, Arias, had been keeping watch, just to let the queen know that it was safe.

"Don't worry, unlike human men, our men don't peep, they know better." Arias said as she had her back turned toward Hitomi. "I hope you don't mind that what you where wearing is currently going to be washed and that you'll be having one that no longer fits one of our women? It's clean."

"Thank you, that's fine, I use to use old cloths to play in when I was younger. I would dress in my oni-chan's old cloths and sneak out of the palace as a boy. Eventually they caught on." Hitomi explained and Arias laughed.

"A princess wanting to get dirty? How unusual if you don't mind me saying."

"No, I don't, who said that being normal was any fun?" Hitomi replied, it was strange, but it was nice talking to another woman again, it had been so long. She finished and dressed and the dress was slightly bigger on her so Arias decided to take a ribbon and tied it around so it would fit better. "Arigato!" Hitomi said as she tried to smile.

"No problem, we're a little bigger then humans, but that can be fixed easily on a dress." Arias said. "Come, women in this village usually prepare the meal while the men are in meetings. Or do you not know how to cook? You can help the chil…"

"No, I think I can manage, I'm a fast learner." Hitomi said quickly. "I don't want to be in the way of anyone, and I'm afraid that being here as is will bring your village trouble."

"Nonsense, we owe King Van and Fanelia much." Arias explained.

………….

"So Zaibach came back and destroyed the rest of Fanelia?" Van asked angrily and slammed his fists on the table. "What about Merle? The other samurai?"

"The samurai, are all dead, but Merle, she still lives." Ruhm replied and it seemed to be at that moment when Van heard footsteps running towards him and then his sister jumping on him, with tears in her eyes as she threw her arms around his neck, and her head was buried in to his chest.

"I'm so sorry that I failed you, Van-Sama, I couldn't protect Fanelia!" Merle cried and Van had to force a smile as petted her pink hair. (Pet, rub, whatever it is that he does!) "That wasn't your fault Merle, it was mine." Van said. "Mine for not listening to Hitomi's warnings." He lifted Merle's chin to look at him and kissed her on the forehead. "Sorry, for making you worry about me so much, and sorry for leaving such a hard task, forgive me alright?"

"Van-Sama…" Merle said blushing by the kiss with the last of her tears coming from her eyes.

"Tier has fallen in to Zaibach's hands saying that Fanelia had killed Prince Mamoru and it was done by Hitomi's orders." Ruhm added suddenly which made Van shoot an angry glance at Ruhm. "Calie Knight Allen Schezar's castle had been burned down about a week or so ago, and it was done by Zaibach." Ruhm added. "The knight, and most of his crew are alright, but Asturia is at war with Zaibach. King Aston had originally wanted to stay out of the fight even though Zaibach had attacked, but he has passed away, and his second eldest daughter refused the crown not wanting to take any part in this violence and so the third princess of Asturia, Millerna Hime, has taken up the crown and is now Queen of Asturia. She has taken arms against Zaibach especially after she found out that the king's death was not that of a natural cause but by poison. She is working up an alliance with those who will fight with them to save Gaea from Zaibach's reign!"

"Asturia huh?" Van asked curiously. "Millerna, wasn't she the one that always hung around Hitomi when she was in Fanelia?" Van asked Merle.

"Hai!"

"She doesn't seem like the type to take up arms, but if she is looking for allies, I will gladly join them!"

……………..

Two updates in two days, I normally would have waited until next week but I just couldn't help it! I'm too excited about this chapter and need to get it out there. I've had three large cups of coke today, and more sugar to add along with that! Ah! Not to mention I've been doing nothing but watch anime all day actually all week so I am hyped up! YEAH! Well I'm off to bed! Goodnight and please review!


	28. Friends or Allies?

Thank you for the reviews every one once again. . Enjoy.

**Chapter Twenty Eight – Friends or Allies**

_In Asturia…._

"You shouldn't…"

"Nea-Sama." Millerna said as she looked at her older sister who was just about to say something once again to the order she had just given out. "You gave up the crown, don't forget that Nea-Sama." Millerna said as nicely as she could but that was difficult since she was irritated by the fact that her older sister was interrupting her to everything she said. "I don't mind you giving me advice, but I know about this one."

"Millerna…"

"I'm not a child any more Nea-sama." Millerna said quickly. "I'm busy, excuse me."

I had been a few days since Allen and his crew had arrived in Palas. Ever since Allen had arrived, Asturia had been in a hectic state of trying to find out information on Zaibach's move. She headed towards the door and stopped. "I don't mind if you give me advise when I need it, Nea-Sama." Millerna said suddenly which made the Asturian Princess smile.

"Alright." Eries finally said.

"Arigato." With that Millerna left. She knew why her nea-sama was so upset, the news of Mamoru's death had upsetted her terribly. Millerna knew that her sister was secretly in love with Mamoru, and it was a one sided love since Eries never had the guts to tell Mamoru that when he was alive, and now that he was dead, she regretted it. Hitomi, there had been no news on Hitomi or Van and she was worried about them, especially since Zaibach was after Hitomi for some odd reason. She looked out the window and sighed as she came to a balcony, finding a moment's peace. She suddenly felt Dryden's comforting arms around her and rested his head against the back part of her shoulder.

"You worry to much." Dryden said as calmly as he could.

"You've been a prince, for so many years now, and still act like a merchant, but as a king you shouldn't be so…"

"Stress isn't good news for the baby, Millerna, as a doctor you should know that."

"Hai, I know." Millerna said sighing. "I wish that of all times to get pregnant, now wasn't one of them."

Dryden laughed. "Fate seems to like to play games doesn't it?" He asked as he kept his hands on her stomach which was beginning to show. "I can take over for ya, so you don't have so much…" Millerna turned around and smiled at Dryden. "No, I need to do this." Millerna said as she looked in to Dryden's brown eyes. "I am the ruler of Asturia, I need to show the people that as a woman, and as a queen that I can handle this."

"I hope that you don't plan on leading our army out there Millerna." Dryden said with a suspicious tone in his voice.

"Of course not, you know that I can't fight very well. I'll leave that up to Allen."

"Allen huh? You're still not having second thoughts about him are you?" Dryden was then hit.

"Baka, don't make me repeat it again."

"Hai, hai." Dryden said shutting up, arguing with a pregnant woman, was a loosing cause.

"Any news on them?" Millerna asked suddenly.

"Ruhm sent a message by owl." Dryden said which made Millerna's eyes widen. "Hai, Van and Hitomi are coming here."

* * *

"Van, something's coming." Hitomi said suddenly as she sensed something as they where in the forest, heading stupidly back towards the direction of Asturia.

"What?" Merle asked who had joined with them in Ruhm's village.

"I don't know…" Hitomi answered truthfully. She closed her eyes and pictured the pendant in her mind. _'Where is it? Where is he hiding?'_ She asked. "Van, straight ahead!" Hitomi shouted and it was almost if at that moment, a half invisible strange sword like object, came flying at them. Van blocked it and knocked it off.

"Damn, what is Zaibach doing so close to the Asturian boarder?" Van asked angrily to himself out loud. I skipped about a week or so not feeling like writing that they where just walking through the woods to grandmother's house we go…. Ok never mind the grandmother's house we go part but I didn't feel like writing fourteen chapters of walking through the woods, I have enough of those that I got bored with when writing them.

"HITOMI-SAMA!" Merle shouted which brought her attention to the young neko. "LOOK!" She pointed up at an airship, Hitomi knew what it was instantly, it was one of Tier's air ships.

"SHIT!" Hitomi swore. (And yes, Hitomi swears with Mamoru as her brother, can you really wonder where she learned it all from?) _'Van can't handle Zaibach, and Tier on his own…'_ She thought. "It's coming from the left this time Van." Hitomi instructed her husband who followed her commands. She closed her eyes. _'Please, please kami-sama, help us.'_ She thought and it was at that moment when she felt something sharp press through her left shoulder. Pain swelled up through her body as she cried out and let go. As she fell off of EscaFlowne and landed on the ground her eyes swayed upward and looked at the two guymelof's that where coming downwards at them. _'Damn…'_ She thought. _'Looks like our luck ran out.'

* * *

_

Yeah yeah, short chapter but don't complain. At least you got one so soon. I was thinking of waiting to update until next friday but I decided to be nice and give three updates in one week. Don't expect any more until next week though. Well thanks for all of the reviews and please review. 


	29. Reunited

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Laughter could be heard from the invisible guymelof. "So reinforcements have arrived." The person said to where they could only hear. "Great timing to."

"Damn, you won't get her!" Van shouted angrily as he glared at the two guymelofs as he turned around after they landed.

"Van-Sama, Van-sama, Hitomi-Sama is…"

"Get her? Why would I want to do something like that?" The voice asked.

"Right, didn't I make you promise to protect her Van? You seem to be doing a poor job of that."

………….

"There's one other piece of information you might want to know Millerna." Dryden said. "According to our spies, Prince Mamoru is alive, and has escaped from where they where keeping him."

Millerna's eyes went wide. "How long?"

"He's been alive this whole time, he was just unconscious, however, he escaped about a week ago, with the help of a friend."

…………

"Did you forget who I was already Van?" The voice asked again. "I'll deal with you later then. Amano, got a visual of the guymelof?" It asked the second guymelof.

"Yes sir, I do." Amano answered.

"Ah, never mind, I see it now, I'll deal with it, and no ands, ifs, or buts." The voice said. "THIS IS PAYBACK YOU ZAIBACH SCUM!" The green guymelof's samurai shouted and ran forward, with sword in hand. "DIE!"

As soon as his sword pieced through the metal of the guymelof, screaming could be heard from the soldier inside and the guymelof busted in to flames. "That was for earlier you scum."

"That's the only one that they sent sir." The one who the green guymelof had called Amano earlier said.

"Good, contact Allen and tell him to hurry up and get down here so we can get to Palas as quick as we can. We have someone wounded downhere."

Van was already jumping down from EscaFlowne and was instantly at Hitomi's side. "Hitomi, Hitomi!" Van shouted.

"Sorry Van…" Hitomi apologized weakly. "I didn't sense that one."

"Hitomi, hold on, don't worry."

"I must be dead…" Hitomi whispered. "Oni-Chan, Amano-Sempai…" She said as she removed her hand from Van's face and raised it to her brother. "Oni…chan…"

"HITOMI!"

"Calm down, it isn't fatal, but she needs a good healer." Mamoru's voice suddenly said which brought Van's attention to his brother in law. "You, how…"

"Later, right now we need to get Hitomi taken care of." Mamoru interrupted. "Gods Allen, finally." Mamoru said as Crusade landed. "Get her inside quickly, we'll take care of EscaFlowne."

"You can't pilot it though…" Van protested. "Only…"

"You really are an idiot." Mamoru said annoyedly. "We have other methods of getting a guymelof to move. "We pick it up with cranes, not birds, but oh, there's no point in explaining, it's technology that we have in Tier."

The mention of Tier would have normally sent Van's anger off, but Hitomi was more precious to him at the moment then his pride. "Whatever." He then quickly went to the ship.

…………

"Allen, do you have a healer?" Van asked the blonde.

"I'm glad to see that your safe to Van, and no we don't."

"Damn! Hitomi…"

"Calm down, she's not going to die from a wound like that, she's probably stronger then she looks if she's Mamoru's sister." Allen said trying to calm the king. "All we can do for her now is bandage her up until we get to Palas."

"I'll do that Van-Sama!" Merle offered suddenly.

"Merle, why…"

"I'm the only female on board Van-Sama…" Merle said in a no duh tone of voice. "I'm not going to let one of you peeping toms violate Queen Hitomi."

Van relaxed a little. "Arigato, Merle."

"Don't mention it, just get her somewhere where I can do it."

"Hai…" Van said with out arguing as he looked to Mamoru. "This is your ship isn't it?" He asked.

"Hai, follow me, Amano, have the rest of the crew take care of things."

"Sir!" Amano said instantly and Mamoru started to walk quickly towards the ship.

……………

"When I woke up, I was in a dark room, my mother was trying to tell me that I was insane and that's not really what happened. I have a bad feeling that in addition to this war that's starting with Zaibach, that there is going to be a war with in Tier. Most people think that it's time for mother to step down as queen since she's loosing it a bit, and that I should take over as King, but mother is stubborn. If any one even mentions that in her presence, she kills them on the spot. She has gotten really bad over the past few years, and even worse since I helped Hitomi escape and took her to Fanelia to marry you." Mamoru explained. "Amano, is my captain you might say, underneath me since I was technically captain until I abandoned the country. Mien is the new captain and well he's loyal to mother I'm afraid to say. He's a good guy, he's just as crazy as she is. Amano here had a difficult time finding out that I was still alive and not dead, which I'm surprised that I'm not since I remember dieing…" Mamoru said, his voice breaking for a moment at the memory. "It took him at least a week to figure out that information and a week more to gather up my most trusted men and helped bail me out of there. Good thing they did to because I would have gone crazy…" He shuddered at the thought. "You must have really pissed her off, mother I mean."

"I don't remember doing that but that's possible…" Van said trying to think of when he pissed her off.

"She wouldn't betray an ally like this so easily." Mamoru said. "I don't know what's going on."

It was at that moment that the door opened and Merle came out. "She's all bandaged up, I don't know if I did a good job or not since I didn't really take any nursing classes or anything or go watch them at the healing center, but well from remembering what they did to Van-Sama when he got injured a lot when we where little I think I did an ok job." Merle said and expected Van to glare at her for leaking out that piece of embarrassing information, but he just placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks Merle." Van said quietly and then made his way in to the room.

"I thought you said that he didn't like her…" Amano said curiously and was punched in the head.

"Mind your own business!" Mamoru snapped.

"But she was my friend growing up and…." Amano was punched in the head again. "Hai, hai, understood!"

Merle looked at the two with a confused look on her face. _'Are those two gay or something and this is their way of showing their love?'_ She thought to herself as she stared at the strange pair.

……………

Van looked down at Hitomi and clenched his fists. If he had been able to see those invisible guymelofs he would have been able to protect her and stop the attack from proceeding. He would have been able to… He then felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Mamoru, why was Mamoru being so nice to him? He had failed to keep his promise and protect his sister so why didn't Mamoru punch him or something? He would have felt better then.

"It wasn't your fault Van, you can't exactly see Zaibach's guymelofs."

"You could!" Van snapped. "Hitomi can!"

"She can can she? Well that doesn't surprise me." Mamoru said half thinking out loud. "We also have just developed a technology that can…" Mamoru shut up as soon as he saw Van's fist clenching. _'This boy still has a bad temper…'_ (He should be one to talk!) Mamoru thought to himself and watched as Van ran past him at that moment and out of the room. Mamoru sighed. "Still troublesome."

"Sir, do you think that she'll be ok?" Amano asked suddenly, who had a very worried look on his face. "Even though Earth is a fast ship, she can only make it there no later then dawn."

"I hope so, even though the wound is fatal, she can still die from the lack of blood."


	30. A Small Piece of Happiness

**Thirty – A Small Piece of Happiness**

Van had found the top and pounded his fist on the rail. It was empty so he could be alone which was good because he probably would have punched anyone in the face who was up here since he was so angry at himself at the moment. He took out his sword, and looked at it. It was the symbol of the king of Fanelia, some king, he let his country burn, and his queen get hurt. He angrily swung it and was a bit surprised to find that another sword had hit his own. He looked up to see who it belonged to and saw Allen there.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened to the queen." Allen said as he looked at Van.

"Don't talk to me like you know anything!" Van shouted as he attacked Allen again who blocked it.

"Balgus never held back this much, if you hold back, you'll never be able to protect those who you love."

This only made things worse, Van's eyes twitched angrily at the knight. "What do you know of Balgus?" Van asked as he swung his sword again.

"Balgus was my sword master!" Allen shouted and attacked back, nearly knocking the sword from Van's hand who had barely been able to keep it there. "Too weak, not enough force!" Allen said as Van hit Allen's sword twice and then he was surprised that the third time, Van had managed to knock Allen's sword out of his hand.

"That's enough, I think Van won it this time." Mamoru's voice said suddenly as the former prince walked through the door and on to the platform. "Hitomi's awake now, but I don't think she'll be awake for long Van so you might want to go see her." He hesitated and paused for a moment before finally speaking again. "She's also asking for you." He decided to add.

With out another word Van sheathed his sword and quickly ran towards the door past Mamoru.

"You should leave him alone when he gets like that, he can be kind of annoying sometimes."

"Like Queen Millerna said they're handful…" Allen said agreeing.

…………

When Van got to the room, he assumed it was Mamoru's since Mamoru was the captain of the ship now that he thought of it. He looked down at Hitomi whose eyes where closed and he was afraid that she might have gone back to sleep when he was out throwing his fit. It was then when those emerald green eyes of hers looked up at him and she smiled weakly at him.

"Hi Van…" Was all that she said and Van didn't know whether to cry at the fact that she was alright, or if he should be angry with himself for letting her get her.

"I... I'm….sorry…" Van said suddenly after a few moments of silence.

"For what?" Hitomi asked and reached her hand out towards his and put her hand on his clenched fist. "It wasn't your fault, too much stuff was going on." She smiled at him. "Keep me company alright? I probably hurt Oni-chan's feelings a little when I said that I wanted to see you, but I'll make it up to him later." Hitomi said giggling. She knew Van well enough to know that he was blaming himself for this injury of hers, sure it hurt like hell, but that was to be expected of wounds. This was probably the worst she's had in her whole life but she knew Van was hurting so much more then she was. "Sit down already, I hate having to look up at you from so high!" Hitomi ordered which actually brought a slight smile on Van's lips which made Hitomi smile, at least he was smiling. "Unless if you don't want to stay with me then I'll just take that like you don't…" She shut up as soon as she felt Van's lips pressed against her own. He seemed to like doing this randomly, whenever he kissed her lately, it always seemed to be after a life and death situation, even though Oni-Chan had told her that this was no death situation, she still welcomed it. She liked seeing this side of Van. This was the side that she got to see so rarely, the thought made her blush.

………….

It was about a hour later when Merle came in to check up on Hitomi and to see where Van-Sama had went, she smiled at seeing Van's head laying down on the bed, and his hand enclosed with in Hitomi's. It pained her that he didn't love her, but if he was happy, that's all that mattered. He has had so much suffering in his life, he did deserve a small bit of happiness.

…………

When Hitomi woke up, she realized that Van was still there and she smiled. She just couldn't help it. She ran her fingers through his wild black hair and blushed. The door opened at the moment which made her blush even more since it was her oni-chan.

"We're almost at Palas." Mamoru informed his sister quietly and Hitomi nodded. "You should probably wake him up."

"Hai, I will, arigato." Hitomi said still blushing.

"Are you happy with him?" Mamoru asked suddenly.

Somewhat puzzled by the question it took her a moment before she answered. "Hai, I am." She replied.

"Good, if he doesn't take care of you, I'll kill him." Mamoru promised as he kissed Hitomi's forehead and walked out.

_'Did he just kiss me?'_ Hitomi asked herself. _'He hasn't done that since I was a child…'_ It must have been the fact that he had almost died which brought him to do that. Or at least that's what she assumed. "Van, we're almost there." Hitomi said gently which brought the young king's head up immediately.

"I… fell asleep?" Van asked not remembering when he did.

"Don't worry about it Van, we both did." Hitomi said smiling. "Oni-Chan says that we're almost there."

"Alright." Van said. "I'm up!"

"Van…" Hitomi said quietly.

"What?" Van asked.

"Don't worry about it, it's not your fault you know." Hitomi said.

"But…"

"Don't worry about it, sure it hurts like hell, but I'll live ok?" Hitomi said as she looked at him seriously with her green eyes. "Don't worry about it." She insisted. "If you do worry, well then, I'll never forgive you for being such a baka!"

……………….

When they arrived, she was placed on a stretcher after some men came up and got her. Allen had sent word ahead with his owl and told the queen that they found them and that Hitomi was injured. Hitomi was scheduled to have sugary immediately on her shoulder and that was that. Mamoru still wanted to punch Van for being such a worried idiot since he knew that Hitomi was going to be ok. That cat girl Merle stayed by Van's side like a lost puppy dog… er… cat. She was one of Van's people, but she didn't have to follow him around like that and wondered how Hitomi could stand it. Then again, knowing his sister, she probably couldn't and got jealous a lot. The thought made him grin since he could just imagen it. It was strange, but he was glad that he didn't die. He knew that he should have, but to see his sister again, he was happy to be alive.

……………………………..

Here's the long awaited update! Well not really all that long, it's only been a week. Trust me, I've waited much longer for some of my favorite fics to update. Try waiting months! Then again, I'm just as bad, I did that on another one of my fics… it's been two months since I written any thing on that one… maybe I should start writing on that one again? Maybe later. Well thanks for the reviews and review people!


	31. Plotting

Thanks everyone for all of the reviews! This fic has hit the 200 mark! Sorry, but this is my first fic that ever made it that high. So yeah, I'm happy. Oh, not to mention I'm hyper off of cake, ice cream, and coke! WHOOHO! SUGAR! I almost forgot that today was my updating day but since isn't letting us update today, well you'll have to wait. I'm also thinking of going back and editing my earlier chapters since I realized that when I first started, I used Sier instead of Tier and there are so many other mistakes like that that I have that I might go back and correct them. Well enough of my rambling, enjoy.

**Thirty One**

"The Wing Goddess has begun to awaken." A woman with white hair said as she stood in front of Folken and the emperor.

"Where?" Dornkirk asked immediately.

"Asturia, you have already had her in your hands once before." Sora replied. "You know of who I speak."

"Fanelia's queen." Dornkirk answered.

"Yes." Sora replied. "Though she still does not know who she is. Your granddaughter, Queen Tier, did not give birth to Queen Hitomi."

"What are you talking about?" Dornkirk asked. "That's preposterous!"

"She found Hitomi Kanzaki Fanel as an infant. She was with child yes, but she had lost her child many months before she gave birth. She found the child abandoned on the night before the queen gave birth. The queen knew that she had lost her child, but never dared tell her husband. During that night, the queen had the child she carried, but it was quickly taken to be buried and Hitomi was adopted in her place." Sora explained.

"But Yuuri had some trace of the gift as well, how is it that Hitomi has this gift?" Dornkirk asked.

"The former queen indeed had the gift, but Queen Fanel is not your great granddaughter."

"How long have you known this?" Dornkirk asked.

"Things come as things are meant to come." Sora answered.

"How long?" Dornkirk asked again.

"Since the beginning."

"And you never told me?" Dornkirk asked angrily.

"No offence, your highness, but you did not ask and I am not permitted to tell things until it is time to reveal them or unless if I am asked."

"And who is it that has told you this?" Dornkirk asked.

"The sprits." Sora replied.

"For now on when you come across important information, you are to tell me. This is an order and your last chance." Dornkirk said.

……………..

"He will try to capture her again." Sora said to Folken once they where alone. "He will also kill me for my knowledge." She added.

"Why don't you leave?" Folken asked.

"Because, my loyalty is to you, Lord Folken. As are Naria and her sister." Sora replied.

Silence fell between the two.

……………

"ONI-CHAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Hitomi shouted at her older brother as he started tickling her.

"What does it look like, little sis?" Mamoru asked as he continued to tickle his sister.

"Not that I mean to intrude ma'am, but Queen Millerna wishes to see you." A maid said to Hitomi and Mamoru.

"Alright, tha..nks!" Hitomi managed to say and the maid left.

"Let .. go!" Hitomi managed to shout. It had been five days since she and Van came to Asturia, and three days since her sugary. Her shoulder was healing fast. Millerna said it was unnaturally fast, but Hitomi didn't mind, as long as it healed, that's all that she cared about. It still hurt, and the wound still hadn't scared over yet, but it was still fast enough according to Millerna who had studied medicine.

_'I wonder what Millerna wants.'_ Hitomi thought.

………………

"Tomi, do you mind if I ask you something?" Millerna asked.

"What?" Hitomi asked.

"You're a seer right? You also use to be a priestess of Tier right?" Millerna asked.

"A priestess huh?" Hitomi asked with a frown. "That, was so many years ago when grandmother was still alive." Hitomi said. "I was five then, and because of my ability as a seer, my father decided to lock me away three years later when I was eight because of my ability. Since we where at war with Celiouz, my ability came in handy at that time and my father knew I knew how to use my gift as he called it at the time because my grandmother had taught me how to use it because she had been the one whom I had inherited this from. As the war progressed on for the next two years, my ability started to get unbarable because of all of the bloodshed that I continued to see night and day for those two years, my parents locked me away in the dungeon, a part that wasn't used any longer. They made it in to a make shift room, with a single window."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Millerna apologized.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know." Hitomi said. "What about it?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you to be our eyes." Millerna said embarrassedly.

"Your eyes?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes, tell us which direction where the enemy is coming, and things like that." Millerna explained.

"Sorry, but I haven't been getting very many visions about that kind of thing lately." Hitomi admitted. "Actually, I haven't been getting very many visions period. Also, it's not like I can just go visions, come to me!" Besides, she hated war. War caused nothing but pain, misery, and death to those who where involved in it, and to those who weren't even involved in it, ended up becoming effected afterwards somehow. That's how it always happened.

"Sorry for asking you that." Millerna apologized.

"That's fine." Hitomi said. Now that she thought of it, her ability to sense when people where coming in to the room was beginning to get messed up as well. Maybe it was just the fact that she wasn't paying attention? "Fried…" She suddenly said as soon as she touched the desk. "Zaibach wants Fried…" She said s soon as the vision came to her mind. She nearly fell to the floor but Millerna caught her. "Uncle…" She whispered once everything was back to normal.

"What?" Millerna asked instantly.

"I saw uncle… " Hitomi said. "Duke Fried…"

"What on Gaea is going on?"

………………


	32. The Blue Eye Prince

**Thirty Two – The Blue Eye Prince**

"Fried is the next target for Zaibach." Millerna said.

"But to get to Fried they'll have to pass…"

"Asturia yes." Millerna said. "However, there is another way, which is another reason why Duke Fried's brother married Queen Totomi of Tier." Millerna said which made Mamoru clench his fist together, and Hitomi's eyes widen.

"Yes, that's it." Millerna said softly and then raising her voice as meant to be heard. "They shall pass through their new allies territory of Tier which boarders Fried."

"DAMN THEM!" Mamoru shouted angrily and slammed his fist on the table.

"Fried needs to be warned." Hitomi said suddenly which brought all eyes to her. "Uncle just can't be left defenseless…"

"I agree Hitomi, but what can we do? A messenger won't arrive in time and with Zaibach keeping an eye on our boarder with Fanelia's, and possible Zaibach spies with in Fried itself, what can we do?" Mamoru asked.

"I'll warn him." Allen said suddenly which made Hitomi look at the young knight. "Duke Fried needs to be warned, and since Fried is a peaceful nation, it needs to see the seriousness of this situation. Tier has already betrayed Fanelia, and Zaibach has betrayed Asturia by murdering the king, what makes you think it won't betray Fried?" Allen asked. "If Zaibach gets hold of Fried, we will be vulnerable."

"Very well Allen, go quickly." Millerna said knowing how much the man loved Fried. He almost loved it as much as he loved Asturia.

"Yes, your majesty." Allen said and the briefing was over with.

………….

Mamoru and Hitomi noticed how many dirty looks they got from Millerna's advisers every time any one mentioned Tier or Zaibach. It really did suck being children of the enemy. "Just ignore them Oni-Chan." Hitomi said to her brother who clenched his fist every time someone mentioned how they where traitors.

"It's not like it's out fault how our parents are the way they are." Mamoru said. "Why is it that they judge us by our parents actions? Can't they see that we're trying everything in our power to help them?" Mamoru asked.

"I know how you feel oni-chan, but let them speak." Hitomi said calmly. "You can't please everyone." She added.

"You're right as usual." Mamoru said sighing.

"Of course, I am a seer!"

"I didn't mean it that way baka." Mamoru groaned annoyedly and Hitomi laughed.

………………

"You want to go, don't you?" Hitomi asked Van who just looked at her.

"I don't want Fried to end up like Fanelia." Van admitted. "Sneaked up on because of our own stupidity, not when it still has time to prepare."

"Van, my vision happened months before Fanelia was attacked." Hitomi said as Van looked over the ledge of the top of the palace. Hitomi noticed that Van liked high places and she assumed it must have been because of his Draconian blood. "Just like I'm not certain when Fried will be attacked, but I know it will be attacked soon." Hitomi said and she put her arm that wasn't in a sling to Van, needing to look in to those crimson eyes of his. "If you want to go, then go, but I am coming with you." Hitomi said as she felt his hand on hers. "Do not put the burden on yourself."

"Hitomi…"

"No arguing, besides, we will have a better chance of getting in if I go." Hitomi said.

"And why's that?" Van asked.

"You know why, I am the daughter of King Tier." Hitomi said trying not to shudder at the thought. "And he is the brother to Duke Fried."

…………………

They left on the Crusade late that night, hoping that the cover of darkness would keep them out of Zaibach's view. Merle came, and Hitomi was actually glad that she had come since she had grown to like the cat girl over the past month or so. The only thing that still pissed her off was how Merle clung to Van. Hitomi didn't make any mention to it towards him, but it still pissed her off. She was beginning to wonder if she should.

She didn't want Merle to come at first because of the visions that Hitomi had been receiving ever since she had that first one. She hated them! This damn cursed gift of hers and how it would come and go as it felt like it. When she needed it, it never was there, but when she least expected it, it came. Morning, noon, night, it didn't matter to the visions what she was doing, they just came. As soon as they neared Fried the next morning, she could feel an automatic strong power source coming from some where with in the country, she closed her eyes and held her hand near her heart.

"Is something wrong Hitomi-Sama?" Merle asked curiously as she wondered what her queen was doing.

"I can feel a strange, strong surge of energy." Hitomi replied. "I don't know where it's coming from but why haven't I noticed it before when I came here as a young child?" She asked herself out loud.

"Whatever, you're weird!" Merle said walking away. _'I don't understand her half of the time…'_ Merle said.

……………..

They landed and immediately went to the castle. Hitomi had been given a dress by Millerna so she wore it, her dress, the one that she had been wearing ever since Fanelia had burned down, was beginning to get worn, and Millerna decided that it would make a better impression if Hitomi was dressed properly, and not like some servant girl. Hitomi managed to ignore that part.

"Prince Chid, I give you King Fanel and Queen Fanel." Boris said. "And Allen Schezar."

"Prince Chid, it's a shame that we never got to meet before now." Hitomi said which made Chid look at her with a curious look. "I'm glad that we finally got to." Hitomi said as she looked up at the young boy smiling, or at least trying to.

"Yes, you never came before now to visit us, Queen Hitomi." Chid replied smiling. "My dearest feelings go out towards you, Fanelia." Chid said. "Please feel free to use my country as your own."

"Thank you, Prince Chid." Van replied.

Silence fell between them for a few moments before Allen spoke up. "Prince Chid, you must get me an audience with your father, the duke at once!" Allen said loudly.

Prince Chid looked at Allen curiously.

"That would be impossible at the moment." Boris replied.

"Why is that?" Hitomi asked.

"Because Duke Fried is out of the country at the moment."

Hitomi glanced at Allen.

"Zaibach plans to attack Fried." Allen said hastily.

"Zaibach is our allies." Boris protested. "Why would it attack Fried?"

"Lord Boris," Hitomi said not knowing how to address Boris. "Tier has betrayed its own sworn ally, Fanelia." Hitomi said as she tried to keep calm. "What makes you think that Zaibach won't betray Fried?" She asked. "When will Duke Fried return, if you would please tell us, Prince?" Hitomi asked.

"Tomorrow." Prince Chid replied. "I will mention it to him once he arrives."

"Thank you." Hitomi replied.

……………………

"You can not trust them, Prince Chid!" Boris said. "To let them roam around our country so freely!"

"Boris, they have committed no crimes against Fried, what right do I have to hold my cousin in jail for? She has done nothing wrong!"

"But she is the daughter of the Queen of Tier!" Boris protested. "The daughter of Asturia's enemy!"

"Aunt Millerna seems to trust Queen Hitomi." Chid said to the older man calmly. "Father is the one who is duke is he not, Boris?" Chid asked which made the older man calm down. "We will let father decide what to do with them, for now, they are my guests."

"I know what family means to you, Prince Chid, do not let it make you judge them poorly." Boris pleaded. "These people have killed Prince Mamoru."

"That is what someone wishes us to believe, who has betrayed their own allies." Chid said calmly. "As I have said it is up to father to decide, and I will not hear any more of this!"

"Yes, prince." Boris replied sadly and bowed as Chid left the room.

………………

"I think it's a good thing that you stay hidden for a while, Mamoru." Allen said to the other soldier.

"Why's that?" Mamoru asked.

"Fried believes that Prince Mamoru is dead." Allen explained. "You showing up unexpectedly at the right time at tomorrow's meeting might prove to our advantage."

"I feel bad for lieing to the kid, and to uncle as well, but if you look at it that way, then I'll deal with it." Mamoru said. "Tomorrow before the meeting, since I haven't been here for a while, I'll act like I'm a servant." He said. "But you must come and get me, I've always wanted to act like one."

"You are strange, how do your men put up with you?" Allen asked and Mamoru laughed.

………………….

Two chapters in one night, well, one night and the next day! Whooho, feel loved! I decided that I felt like Duke Fried and Prince Chid needed to be put in since their simi-important characters to EscaFlowne! Heh, I just found an interesting fact, well to me anyway! It's sad as well that I found this. On this one web site, it says that EscaFlowne episode 1 dialogue recording was on December 6, 1995. It's kind of funny to me, because Dec. 6 is my b-day. LOL! And yes, I'm sad to find that amusing. It's the best EscaFlowne web site I've found so far, and wished that I found it sooner, oh well, when I start to go back and correct things, I can correct them using the proper names from the site now. WHooho! I'm too lazy to go watch the entire series and write down every little name. That would take forever. Review people! Also, Chapters 1-3 have been revised and edited. You might want to look at them since I plan on changing a few chapters a lot! Also, just out of curiousity, what do you think? Should I just kind of delete this one and put the edited version up on another story, what I mean is create a new story with this one and delete this one, or just continue to revise the chapters on this one underneath this title?


	33. The Honorable Duke of Fried

**I am actually beginning to loose interest in this fic because of the lack of reviews in the past couple of chapters. I should probably continue this since I have never had a fic that I left up this long and let die. Just a warning that I might just decide to kill it.

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**Chapter 33 – Honorable Duke of Fried**

Van called Hitomi to the garden the next morning, hours before the meeting with Duke Fried. "Why did you call me so early in the morning Van?" Hitomi said as she stiffed a yawn. "AND WHY ARE YOU HERE! I DON'T NEED YOU TO BABY SIT ME WHEN I'M WITH MY HUSBAND!" She shouted at Merle.

"I don't want you alone with Van-Sama!" Merle snapped back.

"I'M MARRIED TO HIM!" Hitomi shouted back. "YOU IDIOT! AND BESIDES, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING OUT IN PUBLIC!"

"I still don't want you to be alone with him." Merle insisted.

"Merle, that's enough, if you're going to annoy Hitomi then go off and play somewhere." Van said which made Merle shut up at once. "I asked Hitomi to come, not you, you came here by choice." He added. "Hitomi, I called you here because you can sense an invisible enemy, and Mamoru was able to do it as well." Van said. "I want you to teach me how to see an invisible enemy."

Hitomi stared at Van and could see the shame in his eyes, the fact that she had been injured still bothered him. She could tell that. "Anyone can learn it." She finally said not being able to stand that look in her husband's eyes. "With a little bit of practice any one can learn how to sense an invisible enemy, with or with out my powers." She said which caught his attention. "It's called dowsing." Hitomi started to explain. "All you have to do is picture in your mind what you want to find and the pendant will swing in that direction." She explained. "Eventually with practice, you can do it with out the pendant." She took the pendant off from around her neck. "But what is there to find?" She asked.

"Me Van-Sama, find me!" Merle sang happily and jumped off in to the bushes somewhere.

……………

"What do you suppose their doing Boris?" Chid asked the older man.

"Who knows." Boris replied.

…………..

"Picture in your mind what you want to find." She repeated. "Picture her in your mind." Hitomi continued. "That pink hair, those pointy ears, her orange dress, that obnoxious personality, and what's up with that tail?" Hitomi asked.

_'I'm going to use her as a scratching post!'_ Merle thought as she puffed up her tails and brought out her claws.

Van shook his head. "I CAN'T DO IT!" He shouted angrily.

"You might not get it on your first try Van, but with practice you'll get it eventually." Hitomi promised. She closed her eyes and pictured Merle in her mind as she held the pendant out in front of her. She could see the pendant start to move in small circles in her mind as it was moving in her hand. It swung. "THERE!" Hitomi shouted and pointed exactly at Merle.

_'Yeah, as if I'm coming up!'_ The cat girl thought to herself.

"MERLE!" Van shouted and Merle jumped up.

"Here I am Van-Sama, you found me!" The cat girl sang excitedly.

Van sighed.

Clapping was heard at that moment which brought their attention to where it was coming from.

"That was wonderful Hitomi-Sama!" Chid said as he ran over to his older cousin.

"Thanks." Hitomi said sheepishly.

"How is it that you found her?" Boris asked. "I've never seen anything like that before."

Hitomi laughed nervously. How was she going to explain herself to someone who didn't even know her power? She sighed.

………………

Uncle Fried called them in to the throne room once he arrived, Hitomi, Van, and Allen all kneeled before the Duke.

"You're trying to get me to believe, Allen Schezar, that Zaibach is willing to attack Fried who is Tier's ally?" Duke Fried asked.

"Tier betrayed Fanelia and joined Zaibach Duke Fried." Allen said as calmly as he could. "They even allowed their own daughter, Queen Hitomi Kanzaki Fanel, end up in the clutches of Zaibach's hands. No offence your highness, but what makes you believe that they won't betray Fried as well?"

"Why should I believe you Allen Schezar, when there is a price on your head?" Duke Fried asked. "Your and your EscaFlowne's as well Fanelia!"

"Uncle…" Hitomi started to protest.

"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THOSE WHO HAVE KILLED MY OWN NEPHEW?" Duke Fried asked loudly.

"Gomen ne Uncle, demo, I aint dead." A familiar voice filled the room which made the whole room look at him, all but the three who knew he was alive.

"Dear god…" Duke Fried said in a voice barely above a whisper. "We'll resume this meeting in private!" He said after a few moments.

……………

"So you where really telling the truth Hitomi?" Duke Fried asked.

"Yes, mother and father have changed since you last saw them uncle." Hitomi added.

"My behavior doesn't make me any better." Fried admitted. "We know what they want from Fried Boris." Duke Fried said to the bald headed man who stood next to Prince Chid. "They won't get it!" Fried said. "If it is a war that Zaibach wants, it is a war that Zaibach will get!"

………………..

Things are heating up! I know it's kind of cheesy, but I really did have to add Fried and Prince Chid in there. I couldn't make it how they did in the movie and not even mention them! I thought that both the Duke, and Prince Chid where kick ass characters in the anime even for their small part! Well, please review!


	34. The Day Before the First Battle At Fried

**There is a forum for this fic. Not only for this fic but it's for the whole fic. You can go there and express your thoughts if you wish. I'd thought that I'd just let you know.**

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**Chapter 34 – The Day Before the First Battle**

The thought of war worried Hitomi as she watched Van get EscaFlowne's sword ready for the fight. She hated war, nothing good came out of war, but yet he was going to fight, for her, and for Fanelia and to destroy Zaibach. She couldn't help but to worry over Van as he stood there and concentrated on sharpening his blade. This isn't how it was suppose to be, this isn't what Gaea had in mind. She didn't want this, this war, war just caused even more hatred and destruction. Why couldn't they just get along peacefully? Why? She knew that the battle wasn't to start for another day or two but the thought of Van risking his life like that made her heart pound fast. She didn't sleep since Van told her that he was going to fight with Duke Fried. That was two nights ago, she hadn't slept since. She was too afraid of what could happen during this fight. Van always came late to bed, and she would act as if she was asleep and just lay next to him, listening to his breathing, and whenever she got the chance, his heart beating. She didn't know why she did it, but it was comforting to know that he was there, that he was still alive by listening to those things. She knew that Van would be alright, but she just couldn't help but worry.

She wondered if she was being stupid to even worry about Van, but then again, what wife wouldn't worry about their husband when they went off to a battle to where the enemy had numbers greater then their own? She didn't realize that Van was now standing in front of her which made her blink. "You're finished already?" She asked as she looked in to his crimson eyes.

"Yeah, a woman shouldn't be kept locked up in a place like this." Van said. "Let's go."

"I don't mind being in here with you, baka." She nearly shouted at Van. "You seem to forget that it's natural for women of my country to…"

"I know, I know." Van interrupted. "You've told me a thousand times, how can I forget?" Van asked and smile at the pout that he got from his wife. "Besides, it's not like I want to stay cooped up either, Tomi." Van said and didn't realize that he was so close to where their noses where touching.

"Van-Sama!" A high pitched voice said which brought their attention to the door.

"What?" He asked breaking contact with Hitomi at that moment and looked at Merle.

"Let's spend the day together!" Merle said and clung to his arm. Hitomi then glanced at Van angrily.

"Sorry Merle." Van said which made the cat girl look up at him. "I've already promised Hitomi I would with her." He ruffled her hair. "Maybe another time?"

"How come it's always, maybe another time, or I'm too busy right now?" Merle asked. "You never spend time with me any more!"

"I've been busy Merle." Van tried to explain but the angry Merle ran off. Van sighed and ran his hand through his already wild hair.

Hitomi hesitated a bit and touched Van's arm. Maybe they should have invited Merle to come with them? "If you want she can come with us…" She hesitantly said. It wasn't very often when she actually got to spend time with Van.

"No, I already promised you I would spend the day with you." Van said. "Or at least was going to before Merle decided to interrupt." The young king corrected himself. "Besides, once this battle starts I won't have very much time to spend with either of you." He suddenly felt Hitomi's hand tense up at his last sentence. He knew that the idea of war frightened her, but it had to be done. It wasn't always as easy as signing a peace treaty since Hitomi should know from experience, that peace treaties could easily be broken.

……………….

It had been later that evening, after their trip through Fried, Hitomi couldn't help but smile since the time that Van had spent with her. She didn't know why but when Van was around, she couldn't help but feel giddy. Or even spending a lot of time around him, he even made her almost forget that the war for Fried was starting tomorrow.

Van had gone back off to practice before the battle or whatever it was that he did on his own time and she had been called to meet him. She didn't know why but he had sent Merle to get her after they had been separated for only about three hours. The light was still high in the sky since they had returned to the castle after noon some time and she walked to the shed to where every one was.

"You wanted to see me Van?" Hitomi asked and tried to stop herself from frowning when she saw Merle cling to his arm. She managed to keep herself calm since her oni-chan, Amano, and Allen's men where all in there. If she punched Merle on the head for cling to her husband now, her Oni-chan wouldn't let her hear the end of it for being jealous so in the end, she had to endure it.

"I was wondering if you could use your power to point where the enemy is attacking from. " Van said straight foreword. He didn't notice the angry glares that where coming from Amano and Mamoru.

"That's a great idea." One of Allen's men said.

"I don't think so." Mamoru replied. "Hitomi you know what happened…"

"Don't ask too often Van." Hitomi said as she ignored her brother's advice remembering what happened the last time. "I need a map." Hitomi said and ignored her brother's shocked gaze. She hated this, she hated it! But, if it gave Van a greater advantage not to be caught off guard, then she would do it. Just this once, she didn't want Van to… she didn't let herself finish those thoughts.

"HITOMI!" Mamoru shouted angrily at her. "Don't do it!"

"I'll be fine, don't worry." Hitomi said as she removed the pendant from around her neck. Yes, her father made her do this constantly during the last war that Tier was in. Her father had made her do this with out asking her. The first time she only showed him because she was worried about him, and she thought that if she did this, he would love her again like he once did. The way that a father was suppose to love his daughter. She knew that Van loved her so she didn't have to worry about that, she was just worried about his safety. If she lost Van, she didn't know what she would do. She was being pathetic yes, but Van was the first person other then her brother who had shown her love.

The map was placed on a table in front of her, and Amano and Mamoru both stood inside the room even though Allen's men were outside it.

"What's going on?" Allen asked as he came in and his men shushed him.

"The queen is going to pin point where Zaibach's attacking." Gaddess answered.

"She can do that?" Allen asked in a quieter voice.

"Mamoru seems to think so." Gaddess answered again. "It's worth a shot and is better then nothing at all."

"I guess you have a point there." Allen said sighing and quietly walked in to join with the others.

…………..

It had been hours since they first started this, and the sun had set by now, it was still early in the evening. _'Please, please tell me where their going to attack!'_ Hitomi thought to the pendant. It started to move toward Fried's boarders. Sweat rolled down her face as she concentrated on it.

Van was beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea, Hitomi looked beat. He was beginning to wish he never asked. How could he have been so stupid as not to think to how she would feel during all this? How could he ask her to do something that she probably didn't want to do, and the only reason why she did it was because he had asked. Was he really so stupid?

The pendant circled in a particular direction, from the boarder of Friend and Tier, and then from the East side of Fried. "There…" Hitomi said and her eyes widened. This is why she hated doing this, the visions always followed after finding the spot. She collapsed back in to her chair, and her hand as well as the pendant fell against the table.

"HITOMI!" Van shouted as he started to run to her side but his arm was caught and he then felt something hard hit against his face. He turned and was looking at Mamoru.

"I told you…" Mamoru growled angrily. "I told her not to do it but you know why she did it right?" Mamoru asked.

"Allen-San, could you and your men clear out of here?" Amano asked as he looked at the man who could almost be his twin had it not been the difference of blood. "This is a…. family matter and so…."

"Get out of here you scum bags!" Gaddess said immediately after Amano's voice trailed off. "Now!"

Amano followed behind Gaddess and Allen. "Excuse me." He said politely to his prince and captain.

…………………

Yeah, another filler, I know! Well it's not like you can just jump in to the battle, well you could, but eeeh, oh well. I decided to use that part from the anime to when Van asks Hitomi to pin point where the enemy is coming from and make it to where she does it because well it kind of puts things in to perspective to how much Hitomi is really worried about this war and about Van. Review please!


	35. The Royal House of Fried

Whooho! I am done with my exams and with school! I'd update more often, but well, I am evil, and I'd add another word to that but well, hehehe, I don't feel like it today. Thanks for thelack ofreviews everyone. UU

**Chapter -Thirty Five – The Royal House of Fried **

When Hitomi woke up, Van was already gone, gods, how long has she slept? Damn it! Why didn't he wake her up before he left? She wanted to say good luck to him, and kiss him before he went off. Damn it! She quickly got up and got dressed, not like it really mattered what she wore because when she was wearing one outfit, the other one was being cleaned. She pulled on her skirt and then her blouse and then walked out of their room. Van, why didn't he wake her? What time was it by the way? She wondered.

"So your finally awake?" Merle asked as she finally ran in to Hitomi in the hall way. "Van-Sama wants to speak with you."

"What, didn't he go off to fight?" Hitomi asked.

"No, not this time, the king is getting ready to leave." Merle explained. "Not king, I mean duke." Merle corrected. "Van-Sama said something about Duke Fried being ready to abandon this place and move to another location."

"AND VAN DIDN'T WAKE ME UP?" Hitomi asked.

"Actually, he tried to." Merle said wincing at the high pitch tone her queen had just shouted in. It was painful to her sensitive ears. "I even scratched you and you didn't wake up." Merle said and Hitomi then put her hand to her face. Now that she thought of it, it was kind of soar, and she could feel the scratch going down the right side of her cheek.

"WHY YOU…"

"Hitomi." Van said as he came over to the two girls, having had heard their arguing from down the hall. "You're awake." He said.

"Where did you get that bruise from?" Hitomi asked since Van's eye was bruised.

"No where…" Van replied. "I could ask the same thing about that…"

"Her!" Hitomi said with out any hesitation and pointed to Merle. "She scratched me saying she was trying to wake me up!"

"Merle…" Van said not knowing what to say after that.

"Well, she grabbed my tail." Merle protested.

"Merle, apologize, you shouldn't have been in there in the first place when Hitomi is sleeping."

"I won't apologize Van-Sama, I was trying to do you a favor since you where the one who got punched because she hit you."

Hitomi flushed. "I did that Van?" Hitomi asked.

"Actually, you hit my arm, your brother, well let's just leave it there." Van said rather embarrassed. "Well anyway, we're getting ready to leave. The duke wants us to abandon the main castle, though I don't know why he won't stay here and fight. If I was him, I would stay here and defend my people." Van said.

"Uncle probably has his reasons." Hitomi said. "If he wants us to leave, then we should go meet him at the air ship. If I remember correctly, he doesn't have very much patience for people being late."

"I still wouldn't run, not when my men…"

Hitomi kissed Van to silence him, it always seemed to work, and good thing to, she wasn't in the mood to even bother and hear him go on about how he would have stayed in stead of fleeing. "Let's go, Van." Hitomi said once she had broke the kiss and took Van by the hand and dragged him along the halls. Something told her that this would be the last time she would see this castle.

"Hey!" A familiar voice that came from a girl with pink hair. "WAIT FOR ME, VAN-SAMA!" Merle shouted and ran to catch up.

…………………

They landed at another site hours later, and they had left as the battle at the capital had begun. They had landed in a shrine like area, and Duke Fried led them to a room and had been handed a large key. He then opened the doors and the others followed. Beyond the doors, stairs led down deep underneath the shrine and as they went, Hitomi couldn't help but to feel a strange power calling her. Something wanted her to come there.

(This is just a note for all the readers.) Hitomi's eyes are sort of dilated but no one seems to notice that they are. (End note)

When they finally get to the bottom of the stairs, a dimly lit room is there and Duke Fried looks to his son, Prince Chid. (There is no Allen/Marlene in this fic, just Duke Fried/Marlene. Just like I found out that Prince Chid is 5 years old, but in this fic he is 10.)

"Chid!" Duke Fried said loudly and directly to his son.

"Hai, father?" Chid said and looked up at his father nervously.

"What you are about to see here, this, in this room, is what we of the royal house of Fried are sworn to protect. We must never let the enemies hands have what is in this room."

"Hai, father!" Chid said and watched as his father walked to a strange stone like object in the center of the room and placed the key like sword in to it.

A blue light emitted from the stone that the key had sunk in to. "We are the people of Atlantis." Duke Fried read. "Those who are born with wings that can fly." Duke Fried continued. "We are…"

_'I can read it!'_ Hitomi thought as she stared at the writing on the wall. _'I can read it. __Why can I read it?'_ She wondered. "Cursed," Hitomi read as if in a trance like state. "To protect that which is never meant to awaken." She read.

Duke Fried looked at his niece with curious eyes.

"Cursed to protect the awakening of the Goddess of Destruction, the Wing Goddess…" Hitomi's voice trailed off and she fainted backwards and was caught by Allen who happened to be standing behind her at the moment.

"We had to destroyed her before she has destroyed us." Duke Fried continued on. "And have sealed her power away with in five seals." He continued in his loud voice. "To each of the five seals, there are two parts, a part which will play a message of warning, and then the actually key to the seal. If these seals are placed, the Wing Goddess, shall awaken and Gaea's fate will be in her hands. We Atlantians, believe that fate should not be left in the hands to one person, so this is the reason why we have destroyed her with our own hands. Along with destroying the Wing Goddess, we destroy ourselves as well as our home, Atlantis. The seal must remained sealed or her awakening shall be the end of Gaea our new home."

Silence filled the room as the light dimmed. "Do you understand why it is important not to let Zaibach get hold of this place? The main castle, the sacrifice that we had there was to led Zaibach's wondering eye away from this place. This is what we must protect, this is what the Royal House of Fried is sworn to protect. Do you understand the importance of this Chid?"

"Hai, father," Chid said. "I do. I will protect this place with my life!" Even though he said it, the thought of dieing frightened him. He didn't want to die. The thought of war frightened him. Boris, and everyone else at the castle was dead. War, was it necessary to keep one woman from awakening again? Was she that deadly? He wondered.

……………………….

Van took Hitomi to a room that Duke Fried had provided them. He looked at her peaceful sleeping face and ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair before kissing her on the forehead. The door opened at that moment which caught his attention and he quickly turned towards it. It was Duke Fried.

"Can I talk with you?" Duke Fried asked Van.

"Yes." Van said as he walked over to the duke. "Just not here." He said not meaning to have sounded rude but was reminding the duke that Hitomi was asleep.

"Understood, follow me." Duke Fried said and led Van out of their room.

……………………

"Did you know, Fanelia," Duke Fried said once they where alone, it was a secluded room and on the brink of war, the duke still had time to sit here and talk to him. For some odd reason, Duke Fried reminded Van of his own father. Not in any physical resemblance, but since both where rulers of a nation, they both had that proud look to them, that might not have been it, but Van couldn't describe it. "I have not seen my niece since she was five?" Duke Fried asked.

"Yes, Hitomi told me." Van said wondering what this conversation was going to get to.

"In those five years, she has changed a lot, more then I'll ever realize. Her brother, who I had got to see more often then Hitomi, didn't change quiet as much as Hitomi. She has surprising powers and was able to read the writings that only our royal family knows." Duke Fried said.

"Hitomi can do a lot of things that most people can't." Van noted not meaning to have sound rude.

"There is an important matter that I want to talk to you about." Duke Fried said remembering the real reason why he had called Van here.

"There are five power sources." Duke Fried said. "That awaken the Wing Goddess, one is here in Fried, the other four are out in other countries, however, two of those countries have neglected their jobs. When I was away, I was visiting Tier." Duke Fried explained. "I did not tell Hitomi or Mamoru this because I didn't think I needed to tell them with all of the rumors that are going on." The duke said. "Do you know the real reason why Zaibach attacked Fanelia?" Duke Fried asked.

"They wanted Hitomi for some odd reason." Van said. "They wanted Hitomi and attacked…"

"No," Duke Fried interrupted. "There are five power sources." He continued. "As I have said before, there is one here in Fried, the one that you have seen is one of them." Duke Fried paused for a moment for the king to catch up.

"Where are the other four?" Van asked.

This is what Duke Fried was waiting for. "There is one in Fried, Asturia, Tier, Zaibach, and Fanelia." Duke Fried said and as soon as the duke said Fanelia Van's eyes widened. "Yes, Fanelia, this is the true reason why Fanelia was attacked. Someone must have found out that there was a power source there and they attacked Fanelia, and took Queen Hitomi as a distraction. While you gone, they attacked what was left of Fanelia."

"How come I never heard of it?" Van asked. "I was never told anything about a power source or whatever!"

"Because, the former King Fanel, King Gaou, and Queen Fanel, Queen Varie, died before you took the crown. In Fanelia, it is the crown prince's duty to know about the power source. You where never meant to be crowned prince or king for that matter and there for you where not told. The only ones who know about these power sources is the royal families and those who are suppose to protect the royal family, so in your case, it was Balgus."

"Why didn't Balgus ever tell me?" Van asked.

"Once Prince Folken never returned from the right of succession, rumors where that the Queen of Fanelia went in to depression." Duke Fried said and paused for a moment. "We had received news that she went in to the dragon's nest and had never returned." Duke Fried said sadly. "This is why you never where told of the Power Source."

"But Balgus…"

"Perhaps Balgus did not feel like it was his place to tell you about the Power Source, but knew about it so he could protect it."

Van said nothing.

"This is only my theory, but Zaibach knew that Fanelia was one of the five Power Sources. We all know which country the Power Sources are in, but we do not know where, it is hidden from each other's knowledge on purpose as to keep one of us from awakening the Wing Goddess. I believe that it is Zaibach's plan to go after these places that has the Power Sources to awaken her. I had learned on my visit to Tier, that Fanelia, Tier, and Zaibach has all been lit. Now the only two left is Asturia and Fried. After they come for Fried, they will go for Asturia. Time is running out, the Wing Goddess is going to be awakened, but we can try to stop her from it as long as we can as people of Gaea. Zaibach wishes to control her, but she can not be controlled nor stopped. It seems as if the gods themselves are against us."

……………………….

I'm guessing that you all have a pretty good idea to who the Wing Goddess is. After all it is kind of obvious, and I think I even said it a few times with in the other chapters. Well once again, please review. Oh, and I was nice enough to combined this chapter along with the next chapter because this chapter was much shorter then it was. I am also being nice and am updating much sooner then I was suppose to since I was suppose to change my update day to Wednesday but decided to update today. Next time I might not be as nice to update early but since the day is back to Saturday I could wait two weeks to update. It all depends on how many reviews I get since the last few chapters have been getting very little.


	36. Visions of Death

**Chapter Thirty Seven - Visions and Warnings of the Real Fried War**

………………………

Now Van knew why they fled the castle, to create a diversion and to come here. This is where the important battle for Fried would be. This is where the secret treasure that his people had left for Fried, Tier, Zaibach, Asturia, and Fanelia to protect. It bothered him that Zaibach and Tier had one of these power sources. They must have known all along what they where doing when they joined an alliance together and attacked Fanelia.

It bothered him that Duke Fried had said that only the Crown Prince would know where the Power Source was. If that was the case why did Duke Fried have them come follow him as well? Did he want them to protect the Power Source as well? Or perhaps the Duke knew something more then what he was letting on. Another thought bothered him. The Power Source in Fanelia was lit, according to Duke Fried the Crown Prince, and royal family which he assumed would have been his mother and father would have known about it. How is it that Zaibach found out where to find it? The only three people that would have known about it where dead, and even Balgus was dead now as well. Could Balgus have been the one who had betrayed Fanelia and had said where the Power Spot was? No, Balgus wasn't that kind of man, Balgus was a honorable samurai who lived and died by the sword. If not one of those four then who? Who was it? Who was possibly left to have betrayed Fanelia?

His eyes opened once he felt a sword hit his.

Blonde hair and blue eyes. Van would know that man's face any where, it was Allen. He was already in a bad mood, this pretty boy showing up didn't make things any better. He wanted a rematch from the time when he was on Mamoru's ship. He attacked.

…………………..

_A battle, it was a battle._

_She stood there helplessly as she watched the men on both sides die. She watched as red blood poured on to the ground for those who where on foot and those that where in guymelofs ended up as nothing. She saw death, nothing but death._

_The God of Death was laughing at them at the moment, the pitiful humans who where always at war with one another. Animals didn't create war, humans did, humans who where no better then the Atlantians. Atlantians tried to better themselves from the Gods and here humans where trying to bring themselves above the other species of animals. (No offence to people, but humans are technically classified as animals.) _

_There was so much pain from both sides, not just Frieds, but Zaibach's as well. The soldiers where just going out and doing what they where ordered, they had no choice for this life, this is the life that fate had given them. If she could only change that fate? This sad, constantly killing, constantly watching people die, this constant feeling of sadness. Was fate this cruel? She saw Allen, Amano, oni-chan and Van all out fighting on the battle field, Uncle was out there as well. _

_"I am Duke Fried, come and face me!" Uncle shouted. He held up his sword, and then arrows went shooting through him._

_"UNCLE!" Hitomi shouted as she watched the man die._

…………………………….

"He's going to die, he's going to die…" She began to mutter and clutched hold of the pendant, the thought of her uncle dieing, she couldn't stand it. War, why was this war necessary? Why did Zaibach want to fight? What where they after? She had to find Van.

……………………………..

"So here you are." Mamoru said to Van who just looked at him.

"Mamoru." Van said.

"I want to talk to you." Mamoru said. "So please put your sword away." He asked nicely.

Van did as Mamoru asked. "What do you want to talk about?" He asked.

"That depends on what you answer." Mamoru said seriously. "I know how you are and I know that there are a lot of things that you don't like to answer so, I'll just ask the questions and you can answer them if you wish."

"MERLE!" Van shouted knowing that the neko was somewhere near by and as his instincts told him, Merle showed up. "Go play somewhere Merle."

"But Van-Sama…"

"Go Merle, this doesn't concern you, I'll be fine, don't worry, it's not like my own brother-in-law is going to stab me in the back."

"Alright, Van-Sama." Merle said and left.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Van asked again once they where alone.

"Mostly about you and my sister." Mamoru said which made Van narrow his eyes at him.

…………………….

Hitomi finally found Van, Mamoru was there to, but what where they doing? They where actually talking with out killing one another, that was amazing, she never thought she see the day. Wait, she came to talk about her vision. She was about to step forward when she heard their voices.

"I know when you where first married, six months ago, that you didn't want to marry my sister and I knew you had told her that you didn't love her." Mamoru said. "Do you still feel the same way?" He asked.

"Normally I would tell you that my feelings for Hitomi are none of your business, but since you are her oni-chan, I will answer that question. I have fallen in love with Hitomi." He said and looked in to Mamoru's green eyes as he said it. "I will not let anything happen to her."

"Zaibach already captured her once." Mamoru said and pressed his hand to where his scar was now from where he was stabbed. "I still can't figure out why they want her, I wonder if its because of her power." Mamoru said. "I don't know what they did to me to make me come back to life, but I don't like it." He added which made Van look at him with an unreadable expression. "If something should happen to me again, I want you to take care of Hitomi for me."

"As I said, I would protect Hitomi wife my life." Van said. "I don't know why, but when I am around her, she makes me feel at ease." He said closing his eyes at that moment. "I know our relationship got off to a rocky start, but after this war, I have the rest of my life to make it up to her."

Was Van really saying what she thought he was saying? He loved her. He really did love her, she knew it, but she rarely heard, never heard him say those words to her. The only thing that bothered her, was the part when Van had said, "_I will protect Hitomi with my life."_ She didn't want him to go that far, if he died, she would die to, her heart ached to be with him, and if he died, she didn't know what she would do. "Van!" Hitomi said after gathering herself up and acted like she just ran in there. "Oni-Chan, I just had another vision…" She said making herself try to sound like she was out of breath.

"What was it?" Mamoru asked.

"Uncle…" Hitomi said with wide eyes as the vision came back in to her mind. "Uncle dieing."

…………………………………….

I noticed how many stupid mistakes I made and I'm surprised no one complained. I don't know if I said this already or not, but i'm saying it again because I am really glad that I am going back and am editing my story. I just rewatched EscaFlowne for like the hundreth time this past week, I had to skip over the episodes to where Hitomi was all gaga for Allen since I couldn't stand it! It made me gag. I know that this is another filler in a way, but in a way it isn't. Well, please review.


	37. The Final Battle in Fried

Chapters 1-17 have been edited and some of them completely written over completely. Since I decided to change the story line from the original plot, I had to change a few of the chapters. Look back at them if you want to see the changes if you want. I plan on having all of them done hopefully with in the next year, editing them I mean. Well enjoy.

………………..

CHAPTER 37 - The End of Fried

…………………..

"Uncle Fried is going to die!"

"Are you sure that's what you saw Tomi?" Mamoru asked with a wide eyed look on his face as if he was in shock or disbelief. "Uncle, you saw uncle in your vision?" He asked.

"Yes." Hitomi answered and closed her eyes. She cried out as soon as it replayed in her mind's eye again. "He will be killed by the enemy." She said as she managed to look at her older brother. They had to warn him, they had to warn their uncle, she couldn't let him die like that, she couldn't. Tears started to come down her eyes at the thought. "We got to warn him." She begged.

"Let's go." Was all that Van said before any one else could say and do anything, with one swift motion, he headed back to the palace.

"Come on." Mamoru said and grabbed hold of Hitomi's hand and pulled her along.

……………………..

Duke Fried was busy in a conference with his generals. Monks walked by them as they waited outside the room and finally, the door opened.

"Uncle Fried, we would like to speak with you." Mamoru said as soon as the tall man with brown hair walked out. "It's very urgent and I believe that we need to speak to you alone."

Their uncle just looked at them seriously for a moment and sighed. "Alright, if you insist that it is important." Duke Fried said. "Follow me."

……………………..

They explained to the duke to what Hitomi saw in her vision and he looked at them strangely.

"So you have your grandmother's gift of foresight?" Duke Fried asked Hitomi.

"Past, and future." Hitomi answered and closed her eyes and let the vision play once again. "Please do not go on the battle field." She begged. "Please." She was actually begging, it was something for any one to beg, but when a queen begged, it was unheard of.

"If that is what the fates want for me then so be it." Duke Fried said which made all three of them look at him with wide eyes.

"But what about Fried uncle?" Mamoru asked. "You can't die, you need to be here for Fried once this damn war finally ends!"

"Chid will take my place as Fried's ruler." Duke Fried said and closed his eyes. A picture of his wife, of Marlene went through his mind. "My son will take my place as ruler; this is how it has been for many generations. When the current ruler dies, the heir takes his place."

"But Chid will be sad!" Hitomi said speaking up even though it was not her place to lecture her uncle about how he was running his country. "How do you think Chid will feel once he has lost both his mother and father?" She asked. "Chid is only a child still." She continued. "And a child…"

"Chid is my son Hitomi." Duke Fried said loudly which made the green eye seer look at him. "And as my son he will carry out my wish, to rule Fried." He said. "Child or not, he will have to grow up." The duke continued. "Now, you are all dismissed, I thank you for your warning." He decided to add.

Reluctantly, Van, Mamoru, and Hitomi left the room and walked outside. Once they where away from the duke they said still said nothing.

Tears came down Hitomi's cheeks which made both of the men that where near her look at her. She suddenly felt Van pull her close to him and she buried her head in to his chest. "Why, why is he knowingly going to go in to battle and get himself killed?" She asked in a muffled voice since she was speaking right against Van's chest.

As much as he hated to, he let his big brother act fall this one time and walked away letting Van have as much time as Van needed with his wife to get her to calm down. He knew that his sister was a strong woman, but he noticed that around Van, that she seemed to open up to him more. At least, there was someone that could make a person like Hitomi Kanzaki de Fanel open up like that. To see his sister's softer side was a relief from a brother's point of view.

…………….

Van placed his arm around Hitomi and sighed. "The duke probably has his reasons Hitomi." He said softly. "There's probably something that he knows that you don't. I'm not saying that I agree with what he's doing but it's his choice and I can't stop him. However, I can promise you that I'll do my best to protect him." Van said.

Hitomi sighed at his words. "Don't make a promise like that Van." She said. "Never make a promise like that." She added. "I don't want you to end up regretting it later on."

Silence filled between the two of them as they stood there holding one another. This was the day before the real battle; the Duke had already explained it to them both that tomorrow would be the real battle since they would not run from this point. This could be their last moment together.

"Don't do anything reckless Van." Hitomi said suddenly as she blushed once the words left her mouth. She looked in to his crimson red eyes. "Do not do anything reckless." She said again.

Van raised an eye brow. "What do you mean by reckless?" He asked.

"I know how you are Van, just trust me on this one." Hitomi said. "Don't do anything stupid, ok? Or at least try not to." She said. "Because," She blushed at what she was about to say. "I've fallen in love with you." She said as she looked in to his eyes.

Van smiled. "I know, and you know that I…" He was terrible at this kind of thing, he was terrible at saying pretty things. "I've fallen in love with you to, my queen." He said sweetly. "I think I have been for a long time before I had admitted it to you the first time, but I'm not one to say what I feel…"

Hitomi smiled. "I know." She said and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer since he was taller then her. "I wish I could save uncle, and since he refuses to listen to me, I want to be by your side during the battle."

"No." Van said getting the obvious hint and touched their noses. "I don't want you to get hurt again, and besides, as big as your heart is, I wouldn't want it to get hurt again." Van said and before Hitomi could question him, he kissed her.

……………………

The battle started the next morning. Allen, Amano, Mamoru, and Van where all on the front line and she, Merle, and Chid where left alone. She was in hers and Van's room, staring out at the window and looking out at the battle field that was far away. The door opened and Merle crawled on to the bed.

"Merle…" Hitomi said as soon as she seen the young cat girl crying. Merle was about five years younger then. Merle usually tried to act older then what she was, but this was one of the first times she had seen Merle actually act her age.

"Hitomi-Sama, can I stay here with you? I'm frightened for Van-Sama." Merle said with tears coming down her eyes.

Hitomi sat down on the bed and the younger girl instantly crawled in to her lap and buried her head in to her chest. Her eyes widened as the battle played in to her mind.

………………………

Dead men laid on the ground from both sides, Zaibach, and from Fried.

Van was fighting a Zaibach guymelof with EscaFlowne and was trying to keep his eye on Duke Fried as well. It was difficult to do two things at once. He finally finished it off and searched the battle grounds. He found Duke Fried had just got his guymelof slashed badly. He was about to dash forward to save the duke but Allen had managed to jump in to save the day. He was about to go assist the duke, but he was distracted by a sudden enemy that he had just sensed from behind.

…………………

He, Allen Crusade Schezar, was not to be taken lightly. He was a Calie Knight of Asturia, one of the few who had the honor to call themselves a Calie Knight and he was not going to let himself fall now. Queen Millerna had told him to come here and protect the duke, and he was going to do that, not even this red guymelof was going to stop him. "DILANDAU!" He shouted at the red guymelof and could hear insane laughter emerge from it.

"I HATE YOU ALLEN!" Dilandau shouted as he attacked again.

Allen's eyes widened as he saw the mad man slice through his guymelof as if the words that Dilandau just said had given him strength and could feel himself falling backwards.

……………………….

Van didn't know where Mamoru and Amano had been placed since they where positioned in a different unit then he and Allen who where placed with Duke Fried. He watched as Allen's guymelof was smashed in to pieces and he quickly finished off the soldier he was fighting and went to Allen's rescue, blocking the red guymelof.

"I've been searching for you, VAN!" Dilandau said.

_"Why is this guy so blood thirsty?" Van asked himself as he fought with the red guymelof. _

"Duke, please retreat back to safety, please duke." One of Duke Fried's soldiers begged.

"I understand it now." Duke Fried said as he stood there. "Perhaps the Atlantians want the Wing Goddess to awaken." He said. "We must go through a trail and our children will lead the future. The woman who we fear will be the one to chose whether or not we live or die." He said. "Tell Chid to offer the seal as a peace offering." Duke Fried said. "Go once I am killed." He could hear the words of his niece echo in his mind. _"Please do not go on the battle field." She begged. "Please."_ She had begged him. _"Forgive me Hitomi but this is what the gods wish." _He thought before he raised up his sword. "I AM DUKE FRIED!" He shouted. "IF YOU WANT HONOR COME AND FACE ME!"

………………………….

"No, don't do it, NO!" She shouted as soon as she saw the arrows fly through her one and only uncle. Tears came down her eyes and she clutched hold of Merle to bring the young cat girl closer.

"Hitomi-Sama?" Merle asked at her queen's sudden crying.

"It's over." Hitomi said which made Merle look at her. "Duke Fried is dead."

…………………………..

They boarded the Crusade and left the palace after saying their good byes to Chid. They could do nothing but watch, Hitomi knew that she wanted to change this sad fate. Chid was sad, but he wouldn't cry, he had promised Uncle Fried that he wouldn't.

……………………………..

"I am Prince Chid zar Freid, I hear by offer Zaibach this seal as our symbol of friendship!" Prince Chid said. "You will keep your promise, won't you Folken?" Chid asked.

"The airship Crusade will not be touched as long as it is in Fried's territory." Folken replied.

……………………………….

They arrived back in Asturia in the early morning hour. They where all tier, and exhausted.

As soon as Hitomi stepped off the airship, she stood next to Van. She wanted to keep close to him, and Merle seemed to get the same idea so she allowed the younger female to stay close. Her eyes suddenly widened as she felt something. A wave of power suddenly filled her, and she grabbed hold of Van's shoulder as she felt it, it was so strong, and familiar. Breathing became difficult. Her eyes became unfocussed.

"Hitomi?" Van asked as he watched his wife. "HITOMI!" He shouted once he saw her fall, he quickly dashed forward to catch her. "Hitomi, Hitomi, answer me Hitomi!"

……………………………….

Meanwhile in Fried.

Prince Chid stood there as they watched Folken place the seal in to the stone. Another one of the Wing Goddess's seals had just been unsealed.

………………………………..

Here ends Will You Ever Come to Love Me? I have decided to finally make it a two part fiction. The next one will be called The Awakening of the Wing Goddess. It won't be as long as this one is because this fic is already more than half finished. Thank you everyone for all of the reviews, and even though the reviews have gone down, I still plan on continuing this since I don't like to leave things undone. Thank you everyone once again, and please review!


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